Life of a Vampiress Old Version
by ArraWintle
Summary: My third draft of my 1st fanfic. It is quite different to my other story. That is why I have labelled it as my old version.


**Have****you****Ever**Wondered what its Like to be a Vampyress?

Chapter 1 the Visitor

It must have been about eleven thirty at night when the knocking begun, first I heard three knocks in a row and then three more; believing it to be my younger brother I went into his room in order to tell him to stop annoying me but I saw him fast asleep in bed, then I panicked because if it wasn't my brother then who or rather what was it? That was knocking on my door so late at night. The moon was full; a beam of moon light then came through my window and then I saw it, a figure or a shadow that hadn't been there before and it was moving towards me slowly, I called out

"Who is there? I am not afraid of you." But no answer came. The figure stopped dead in front of me and I screamed. All I can remember is a hand covering my mouth and nose and then I must have blacked out.

In the morning I woke up deliberately early and got ready for school as usual but today I felt different and I looked like a freak, my skin was white as a sheet, my lips were crimson and my eyes were blue and piercing when the night before they had been brown. I felt weak and drained, I nearly tripped over my slippers while on my way to the bathroom, lucky for me my parents were in London for the week and my brother had already left for school. I phoned the doctors surgery and made an emergency appointment, I said to the receptionist that I believed that I had been drugged and raped and I wanted a test to be done.

I had a thirst on but it did not seem to matter how much I drunk as my thirst would not subside, I needed to be seen by a doctor and soon as if I had been drugged it could be making me feel like this.

The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with me and he suggested that if I had been raped I should take the pill to make sure that I was not pregnant, I explained to the doctor that I had not started my period so I wasn't sure if I could get pregnant. I was told to go home and rest and if I felt ill after three days then I should go back and arrange to go to the hospital, the doctor then explained to me that I should not go into school until I felt better and that I should stay away from sunlight and other bright light sources.

I went home and went to bed only to find a strange poster on my bedroom floor that I had not noticed before; I picked it up and examined it. The poster said Cirque du Freak at the top and on the back there were two tickets and a list of the performers, I could not believe what I was reading but I decided to go and I would take my best friend along as well to enjoy the show.

Chapter 2 the Freak Show

We arrived at the main entrance fifteen minutes early in order to get good seats that were preferably near the stage, a man came up to us in the queue and asked for our tickets, I handed them over and he said to me

"We don't usually let young people see the show but you seem to be old enough to cope and I can't refuse entry to a clan member, please go in and enjoy the wonder that is Cirque du Freak."

"Excuse me but who or what is a clan member? We belong to a school but that's it." I asked the man.

"Why you are a clan member are you not? I have never seen a human look so pale otherwise." The man replied

"No I am not a clan member and if you must know I am ill, I have lost some blood for some reason but I feel fine." I replied as I watched the man vanish, first his head vanished and then the rest of his body disappeared with a loud bang and a shower of black and yellow sparks followed.

My best friend and I got seats in the V.I.P ring near the front and we sat munching on sweets until the show started. The lights dimmed and then another man came on stage to introduce the show and the performers, there were all manner of people; a pair of Siamese twins, a fat man that had two stomachs, a man with a spider who I thought I had seen before, a lady in a long sequined dress that had teeth which could bite through metal, a snake boy who had scales and fangs, another lady who grew a beard at will by tickling her chin and then some strange creatures in blue robes came on, the man introduced these creatures as his assistants; the Little People he called them.

Then the show begun, the fat man who was introduced first came on first, he was said to have had two stomachs and he did. His act was to eat anything and everything and then bring it up again whole and unharmed. He ate cups, plates, spoons, knives, forks and when it came to food he ate a whole table full of different things in just four minutes and fifty six seconds, I could not believe my eyes; the crowd cheered and then as he left the stage some of the little people came on stage and cleared up the mess like the table and the spare plates. The next act that came on was the lady who had incredibly strong teeth and yet they looked perfectly normal and straight, first off she had a small pen which she bit through until the ink ran down her chin, then she bit the end off of a ruler and next she bit a metal chisel cleanly into two pieces finally she got some people on stage and asked them to try and chip a piece off of her teeth but not one person even made a small mark; then the lady took a bow and left the stage. The twins came on next and they started to do gymnastics and other acrobatic feats which I thought was amazing as they did most of it in the air and they seemed to forget that they were conjoined twins. Next came the strange man with the spider in a little wooden cage, the man was carrying what looked like a flute in his right hand and then the man who had seen me in the queue came on the stage and he warned us how dangerous the next act was and he also said that we shouldn't make any noise as one noise could cause death for the man who owned the spider and the audience if the spider got distracted and came after us. When the act begun the man started to play the flute and the spider did some tricks like standing on its back legs and at one point during the act the spider spun a web over the mouth of the man who was playing the flute. We clapped at the end once the spider was back in its cage. The last act on was the snake boy who was holding a python when he came on stage, he placed it down and then I watched it slowly slither towards me, my friend sat there frozen in fear as she hated snakes so I took a massive gamble and picked the snake up then I took it back to the person who was on stage; the boy stared at me in surprise and then he spoke to me,

"Do you like snakes then?"

"Yes, actually I love snakes and their scales are really cool." I replied to the boy. The boy then took a cloth off of a small tank that had been previously concealed on a table, the tank contained a small corn snake and then the boy said that it was mine if I wanted it. I was shaking but I said that it would make me so happy to have my own pet snake, the boy said that he would give me everything that I needed to give my snake the best start in life, I then sat down and the lights came on as the show was over and what a show it had been.

My best friend and I decided to go back stage together so that I could pick up everything that I would need for my snake and we hoped to get some autographs. The man with the spider bumped into me backstage and I recognized him as the man who had been in my bedroom last night, I looked deep into his own ocean deep blue eyes and at that point I fell for his charms.

"You have a beautiful spider Sir, what is your name? I am Shannon James." I said to him and he replied to me

"Well Shannon my spider is a very rare breed, she is a Ba' Halens spider and my name is Larten Crepsley, my spider is called Madam Octa." Larten replied.

"Larten, I mean Mr. Crepsley Sir this is going to sound totally weird and crazy but you didn't happen to be in my bedroom last night did you? I am so certain that I have seen you before and I don't have any clue as to how the poster and tickets came to be in my possession as I know nobody affiliated with this organization and that man who was on stage with you asked me when I was queuing up if I was a member of the Clan whatever that means. Do you have any idea?" I asked tentatively.

"Well yes in fact I was in your room last night and I am very sorry if I offended you by being there, I dropped the poster by mistake but as I can see it has not harmed anyone so I do not suppose it matters and I know that you had a good time tonight did you not?"

"Well yes Mr Crepsley I did have a good time tonight but what is the Clan?"

I asked nervously

"The clan is for people like me, we are a clan of Vampyres, yes I know it sounds crazy but it is true and I fed from you last night. Did you notice the scar that I gave you on your hand? I want you to join me in the Clan as your soul is dark and within you I can sense blazing passion and desire."

Larten replied to me and in response I said

"You must be insane, dark soul my ass. I will have you know that I am a Pagan and Pagans have good, pure and virtuous souls not dark souls."

"Well if you feel that way then I shall leave you, it was a stupid idea of mine; to think that a young girl like you would be interested in me when I am over a hundred years older than you and the Vampyre Generals would have my head as we as a Clan do not tend to blood people of your age as it is too risky and the Princes would hate me for ending your life before you have had a real chance to live it." Larten replied as he turned and walked away from me and my best friend.

I decided to get an autograph from Larten because his act was my favourite except for the Wolfman who came on just before the second interval where I had bought some souvenirs. I cautiously knocked on Larten's dressing room door and he answered it, he asked me to come in so I did, my best friend waited outside the door I then said to Larten,

"Can I have your autograph please? I am sorry for calling you crazy earlier I did not mean it I was just a little surprised that is all, I would love to be your assistant though if that is at all possible?"

"You may have my autograph and you can be my assistant if you wish but it means faking your death and becoming like me." Larten responded in a matter of fact tone of voice.

Larten's last comment had gotten me intrigued even more now and I was desperate to know what life would be like as a vampyre's assistant. So I asked Larten what sort of things I would be doing and what sort of life I would be leading. Larten answered my question by saying

"It is full of danger and often lonely but it has its advantages, for example you will be stronger and faster than any human, you will get to travel to faraway places and you will be under my instruction for I will teach you how to be a vampyre of good standing; you in return will see to my every need as you will be my eyes and ears during the day, you will cook, clean, wash my clothes, polish my shoes, fetch me things and generally help out in the clan." In response to this I said that I would become Larten's assistant if he gave his word to take good care of me and to be there when I needed him for he would have need of me and it was only fair. Larten accepted my terms saying that his word was one of honour that would not be broken and then I left and went home.

Chapter 3 My New Life Begins

Larten stopped by to see me and to do the first part of our plan which was to fake my death so that my parents would not come looking for me after I had become an angel of the night as I called it because it sounded better than a vampyre's assistant. In order to fake my death I drunk a special potion that paralysed me and slowed my bodily functions so that I appeared to be dead and for good measure Larten threw me out of the window to make it convincing enough so the morgue would not ask any questions either.

My parents returned from London to see me being put into a black plastic body bag and carted off in a van to the morgue. I could hear their sobs and cries and I begun to regret my decision but it was too late now as the deed was done and the vampyre blood in my veins was beginning to take effect. I heard the pathologist say that I was in good shape and that when I was put into my burial clothes I would look beautiful which made me happy because no one had said that before.

The burial was on a Pagan site and I heard every word, it was weird to be at my own funeral but it was freaky being buried as I felt myself being lowered into the grave and then I heard the earth being chucked on top of my coffin and then silence ensued.

Eventually I heard footsteps and I knew it must be Larten as I heard him getting closer to me and then I heard scraping as the earth was removed from my grave. Larten lifted up the coffin lid so that I could get out, he held out his hand to help me as I really had been six feet under and the potion had not worn off completely so my legs were stiff making it hard to balance and walk. With Larten holding me I was soon walking and I helped to fill in my grave, we left the burial site and now it finally hit me, I was never going to see my friends or family again but the vampyre blood in my veins made me strong and I had a feeling of great excitement as this was the start of my new life.

We decided to go to where Larten was staying for the weather was bad and I was really tired and a little bit stiff still but the vampyre in me kept me going. I had Larten's blood in my veins and I felt a connection between us, whether he felt it I don't know but he carried me when I could not walk anymore and he was so gentle and kind, he shared his food with me and he let me drink from his canteen though it was nearly empty.

Larten was staying in a barn, he had a bed in the hay loft and he had some of his possessions around; he helped me find a place to sleep and he gave me his cloak to use as a blanket. I used a pile of hay as a pillow and I curled up close to Larten as it was freezing and I felt safe when I was near him.

I asked Larten what we would do if the farmer found us and he replied

"Well this barn is abandoned and the hay has been put here by me for it makes decent bedding when I have nowhere else to go. I cannot just book into a bed and breakfast; I have no money and because I sleep all day they would think that I was weird then they would start asking questions."

"Fair enough, I did not think of it like that." I said. I then turned over and I curled up and then Larten huddled up beside me and we slept until the sun set.

When I awoke I felt refreshed and stronger than before, I noticed that Larten was not there though, I thought that he must have gone to get breakfast or have a wash in the nearby stream so I sat and played patience while I waited for him, I did not want to go outside in case I was seen or I got lost for I did not know where we were and Larten had not given me permission to go wondering around.

Larten returned before long with a deer slung over his shoulder and he had blood on his lips so he had fed. I got out the pans and bowls ready to make dinner but as I had never cooked before I let Larten take over and he showed me what to do as he set about making venison stew with a few vegetables that he had found in a nearby field. I kept forgetting that it was the middle of the night and my body had not adjusted so I felt tired because I was not used to being a nocturnal creature.

I got up and turned on some battery powered lanterns so that I could see because not all of my enhanced senses had kicked in yet. I could smell the stew and it made me hungry as I had not had a good meal in quite a while, Larten had carried a few provisions like berries and some bread that he had stolen but that would not keep us going for long, I wanted blood because I had a craving for it, I asked Larten for some and he gave me a bottle which I drained and then I felt like the demon inside had really taken hold and I wanted more.

When the stew was cooked we shared it out and it tasted fantastic, it must have been the best meal that I had eaten in a while. I ate three bowlfuls and then Larten had the rest, we got rid of the bones by leaving them in the hedge for the other animals. We decided to stay on in the barn for a bit longer. Larten was in no rush to move on; he wanted me to become accustomed to my surroundings before we moved so that I could go out on my own and not get lost.

I liked it in the barn, it was warm and dry and it wasn't far from fields or from town, I had begun to put my new skills to the test by climbing up on to the rafters and then walking along them, I found that I had great balance and that I could quite easily hop from one to the other and back again.

I used the lower rafters as washing lines for our clothes and shelves for our belongings; we stuck a hook in one of the other rafters in order to hang up any meat that we caught so it could be kept clean and edible until we ate it. This was usually within a couple of days as Larten disapproved of greed and he lived by the saying "Waste not want not".

Chapter 4 Our Journey Continues

We must have stayed in the barn all through the winter. When we decided to move on the hay that had been our bedding had started to rot and it smelt so we packed up our things and left. I was beginning to get into the whole vampyre thing, I loved to hunt and feed and Larten had taught me a great deal about our species and our history, he was forever going on about pride and honour. I learnt our laws and Larten taught me practical skills such as cooking and killing cleanly without a weapon even though we both had daggers which stayed by our side.

"Larten, I am thirsty. Chuck me a bottle of blood would you?" I said after we had been walking for about two hours without stopping.

"Here, it is all we have so please do not drink it all." Larten responded as he handed me one of his many bottles; I drunk half and then handed the bottle back to Larten.

"Thanks, I needed that; I haven't had a decent feed for a week so that hit the spot." I said

"Any time, the pleasure is mine." Larten said back to me, he then continued to say

"We have known each other for quite a while now and I have had this going around my mind; I have decided to ask you if you will do me the honour of being my new mate, will you please be my mate?"

"What like you want me as your girlfriend?" I asked rather surprised

"In a manner of speaking yes" Larten responded.

"Well since you asked so politely I will happily be your mate, but I want to take it slow because I am only thirteen and I am still a virgin." I replied

"That suits me fine, it will not change anything but it will hopefully bring us closer together." Larten responded.

"When it comes to the physical side of things please be gentle as I am tiny compared to you and I do not wish to be hurt or injured." I said

"I will be as hard or as gentle as you want and I will never push you into anything that you do not wish to do." Larten replied as he took my hand and examined my tiny scars that were on the tip of each finger; he seemed to be pleased with his work.

We continued on our journey, I did not know where we were going and I did not mind either. We stopped to rest outside a small town; we sat on a bench and looked around. We noticed that a pub was open so we went in there to have a proper sit down and a drink. When we entered the pub we looked like the odd ones out as we were wearing strange clothes and we had a different accent to all the other people. We sat at the bar and we said that we were father and daughter to make things easier and then we said that we were gypsies to explain our strange clothing. It was nice to sit down and feel welcome as I am sure that had we told the truth we would not have had such a good night.

We left the pub and we then searched the town for an abandoned building that we could spend the night in, it needed to be dry and not too dilapidated. We found a two story block of flats that were in construction so we turned our lanterns on and had a look inside. We found an ideal place to sleep but then I reminded Larten that the builders would come in the morning to continue building and if they found us it would cause problems. We left the block of flats and we eventually found an abandoned block of flats that we could spend the day in.

We found that one of the bedrooms still had a bed in it so we slept in that, the bed had a mattress and pillows but no duvet so I used Larten's cloak instead. I had forgotten what it was like to sleep in a bed so this was luxury compared to the damp floorboards of our previous homes.

"You know that we are mates, well maybe you would let me hold you while you sleep? What I would very much like is for you to kiss me." Larten said as I snuggled up beside him, I was a little scared but I kissed him and then he kissed me back. It wasn't passionate but it did give me a feeling of security and I felt wanted. I lay my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me whilst being careful not to rip my clothes or scratch me with his nails by accident as they were long and razor sharp.

"I think that I am going to enjoy being your mate. By the way when you kiss me it makes me feel all tingly inside." I said to Larten who pulled me close to him and kissed me again; this time it was more passionate and it lasted longer, I opened my mouth just a bit so that I could feel it more; then I took a risk by using my tongue just a little bit and then Larten responded by using his tongue and that felt good. I did not know what to do exactly but I do not think that it mattered because it still felt good. We stopped and then Larten said

"That was fun; I had quite forgotten how good it feels to kiss someone and to have them kiss me in return, I now think that you want more of me and my love." To this I said

"Well yes, it feels so good and the more that you do it the more I want it; now I am kind of in the mood to explore, so Larten what else can you do to excite me?" I asked.

At that point Larten lifted me on top of him and kissed me properly, he held on to me as he did so and then we rolled over so that he was on top and in control; he was gentle but meaningful and he moved his hands all over my body and I did the same to him; I could feel his muscles and because we were kissing at the same time it made me go tingly all over we rolled again then we stopped and relaxed.

"What an experience. Thanks for showing me just how good you can make me feel." I said. Larten then sat up and so did I, he lifted up my dress and he began to caress me, to feel skin on skin was nice and I sat there and enjoyed every second of it. We then curled up and decided to sleep as it was already sunrise and we had a long journey ahead of us.

The evening came and I started packing up our things ready to go, Larten came and helped me organise everything and put it into the back packs that we had. I still had no idea where we were going so I asked Larten and he said that after we had eaten we were heading for his home town; he had a decent house there and from there he could find out where the Cirque du Freak was. The plan was to join up with the circus so that we could travel around and I would be able to help Larten with his act as well as making a few new friends.

We did not have to walk to the circus, instead Larten put me on to his back and then he started to run, then the countryside became a blur because Larten had begun to flit. Flitting is a super fast run that all fully blooded vampyres can do; I cannot flit because I am only half blooded.

We arrived at the Cirque du Freak and we went straight to the owner's van so that he could change the line up to include us. The next thing that we did was to find Larten's own van where he had his beloved coffin and his other possessions. Larten did not like staying in his van and now that I was with him he had to consider where I was to sleep and put my things; luckily for us it was only two days and then the circus would move to Larten's own town where we had come from which meant that we could stay in Larten's house and not the cramped van.

The owner of the circus said that I could stay with Evra Von who had given me the snake which I had named Shady; Evra was pleased to see me and the snake which I had taken great care of, Evra found me a place to put my back pack and then he made up a bed for me on his sofa as there was nowhere else to sleep.

The next day I began my duties before my performance in the evening, being only half blooded meant that the sun had no effect on me although I did burn easier because of my pale skin. My duties included washing pots and lighting fires, I also had to find myself some new clothes as my burial dress was minging and I had nothing else to wear for the evening performance.

I decided to ask Larten for permission and some money to go into town and buy some new clothes and shoes, we needed food and batteries too so I thought I should get everything in one go. I knocked on the door of Larten's van and he let me in.

"I was thinking that since you cannot go out now and my duties are done I should go into town and pick up the things we need, some new clothes for me and some new shoes because I cannot wear this for the performance tonight." I said.

"You can go into town if you wish but I have no money so you will have to borrow some off of someone, tell them that I will settle the debt when I get paid tonight." Larten replied to me and then passed me his small jacket to wear if I got cold even though my vampyric blood would keep me warm. I gave Larten a hug and then asked him if he wanted anything and he replied

"There are two things but you cannot buy them so you may have to take someone with you to get it. I would very much like a bottle of vintage port and a bottle of rum but you being under eighteen will not get served." I then asked if I could use my vampyric abilities when I was there but he said in broad daylight the town would be teaming with humans and it was not safe. He gave me a kiss and said that he would not sleep until I returned safely, he then held me in a tight embrace and then I left to go to the town. I had not been out in the daylight for a while and my eyes had adapted to night time so I was almost blind but the human in me enabled me to see well enough.

First of all I learnt my way around and then I brought some clothes; I bought a black and red corset, some tights, a mid length skirt and some red stilettos. The next thing that I did was to ask a lady if she would purchase the rum and the vintage port if I gave her the money for it, the lady agreed when I said it was for my father's birthday and my uncle's birthday as they were twins. Finally I decided to pick up some food and some batteries for our lanterns.

When I returned to the site of the circus I went straight to Larten's van and dropped off the shopping; I had bought all kinds of food and drink because I missed ordinary food so much, I had yoghurts, milk, cheese, butter, bread, eggs, cream, puddings, chocolate and cereals and pasta as well as some ready meals and some tinned soups, I also bought vegetables and fruit. I gave Larten the rum and port which he put in his wine rack and then I gave him the change to give to the lady he borrowed it from. I then hung up my new clothes and got changed into something clean and comfortable. I had bought some normal clothes as well to wear each day and I had a pair of pyjamas as well as some slippers and trainers. I was given one thousand pounds because the circus knew that I had nothing and Larten had lost his money because of debts so the circus folk helped us out. They knew that I needed everything that I bought so they were happy to buy it and because Larten was a man of honour he would pay the money back when he could.

Chapter 5 Training

The time of my performance was drawing near and Larten had not as yet told me what I would be doing but when he handed me a wolf on a lead I guessed that I would have my own act as well as sharing his, Larten told me that the wolf would not hurt me because of the vampyre blood in my veins but it was a wild animal and so I alone was responsible for her, she was an American Timber wolf so I named her Spirit because she was full of it. The wolf wasn't that old but she was a handful to control and she ate loads of food. I found training her ok as she was quite intelligent, she loved being put into the kennel with the huskies as they were similar creatures and she liked being in the pack.

The time for my performance came and I was on before Larten and I did our joint act, I warned the crowd that my wolf was a wild creature and that she may attack so silence was needed. I had trained her to do agility and all kinds of tricks and the crowd were clapping and cheering. One man in the audience came forward and Spirit growled but when she smelt him she settled down again and I let him walk her around the stage; this was part of the act but the audience did not know this, they were amazed at how the wolf seemed to be so friendly towards him when she was a wild animal. I took a bow and then I let some children come up and stroke Spirit and feed her pieces of her favourite food which was roe deer. After the first interval I had to go on stage again with Larten in my new outfit and help him with his spider act; Madam Octa had gotten quite used to me but she could still kill me so I had to be very careful. My part in the act was to hand stand on Larten's shoulders while the spider climbed up us and sat on the top of my stiletto, it was incredibly dangerous but my balance was spot on and it went fine, that had to have been the most dangerous thing that I had ever done. The cheering at the end of the act was phenomenal and we got a standing ovation for our daring feat but only when it was safe. We bowed together and then we left as that was the end of the show.

Larten said to me backstage

"You were brilliant; oh if only your parents could have seen you perform they would have loved it. Taking you as my assistant was a really good thing but having you as my mate is the icing on the cake." I then said to him in return

"Well you were outstanding, the level of concentration needed to play the flute and have me hand standing on your shoulders is incredible and you kept the spider under control, you are the best act that this place has and do not forget it either." at this point we left and I went back to Larten's van to eat something as I had not had time before the show, I gave Spirit the rest of the roe deer carcass which the huskies ate also and then I gave my snake a live mouse to eat. I had some soup and bread as it was quick and easy to prepare and Larten had some left over stew that we had eaten the night before, I heated our meals up in a saucepan first though as neither of us liked cold dinner.

After we had eaten we went hunting as we needed to feed and I had not had a feed in a week at least so I needed it. We went into the town and Larten picked out his victim, he then told me to wait while he knocked them out and carried the person to where I was hiding, he let me feed first as I needed it more than he did so I found a vein and made a small incision with one of my own sharp nails then I clamped my mouth around the cut and sucked; the hot and salty almost metallic tasting blood ran down my throat like water flowing through a stream. When I had finished Larten had a small feed and then closed the wound with his spit; another trick which only fully blooded vampyres can do.

Larten saw the blood on my lips and I saw the blood on his; he handed me a handkerchief but I had another idea so we left the person to recover and then we kissed each other to get rid of the blood on our lips by using our tongues to lick it off the other person.

We then left and headed back to the van. My thirst was quenched and my stomach was full; feeding is vital to our survival. If we do not feed then we die, so I always had a good feed at least once a week; Larten was more than happy to take me whenever I asked for blood, he always had his canteens but blood doesn't taste nice when it is cold and stale; it is dangerous when it is sour; blood goes sour after ten hours so it must be drunk or replaced by then because it acts like a poison; some animal blood like cat, dog and reptile is poisonous anyway so I always asked if it was safe before I tried something different.

I lay down in Larten's coffin just to see what it was like, I mean when I was in my own the potion stopped me from feeling anything. It felt warm and snug; Larten joined me but it was not wide enough so I lay on top of him and kissed him with a yearning to become as one with him; to join our bodies together in the act of mateship in order to express our vampyric love and to make our bond unbreakable. We had been mates for a few months and it was going along great and we made the choice to take the physical side of things to the next level; before tonight we had only kissed and I usually slept in his arms or next to him but that was all, now we wanted to make our mateship mean something so we made vampyric love which is the same as human love but it was normally rougher and faster; we took it slow though because of our size difference and because I had never done it before. We did it in a field as it had a lot of space and it was away from the camp so that we did not disturb anyone or vice versa. We lay on some blankets and pillows that I had borrowed and then we just let things happen naturally. We talked a bit about what we wanted and then we undressed each other slowly, I was shaking because of my nerves but when Larten enclosed his lips around mine and kissed me in such a way that it made me tingle all over I forgot my nerves, laid back and let him do the rest; he was so gentle and he knew exactly what to do so I felt really special and loved. I did a few things too but it was mainly kissing him and holding him close to me while the actual act of mateship took place; it felt like I was floating and I had never felt so alive in my whole life. When we eventually stopped I felt different, I felt vampysh and I felt like the bond between us had finally been forged out of pure love and consummated. I was tired but satisfied and now I knew what I had to look forward to as Larten's mate. We went back to the campsite where the circus vans were and went to sleep; I was still sharing Evra's van but tomorrow I would be in Larten's bedroom in his house.

The night came around and we had another performance to do but first Larten showed me his apartment, it was small but there was enough room for us to live comfortably, he had electricity and all the modern conveniences but he didn't know how to use half of them so I showed him.

Being illiterate Larten could not read or write properly so bills went unpaid as he could not read them. That was why he got into debt; I sorted it out for him though by telling the companies the truth so they had people collect the money monthly instead of sending bills.

We watched the telly and then we had something to eat before we performed again. The performances went great and I got my first wage packet which I used to pay back the money that the other performers had let me borrow.

When we had finished at the circus we went to bed and Larten had a four poster double that he had failed to mention so I knew that I would be warm, safe and comfortable; it had satin sheets and everything so just getting into it was enough to make me want to mate again; this time I wanted a more active role in the mateship so I kissed Larten and whispered

"I want you now, do you want me?"

Larten did not answer, he just continued to kiss me and it was a bit faster than last time but it was still passionate and it made me tingle throughout my body. We rolled over and over while we kissed and undressed one another, Larten remained in control and when we mated it felt like we had linked our bodies and we were in the process of forging our hearts and souls as together so that we became one person but in two separate bodies. We got so deeply involved that it felt like we had always been together and nothing could separate us. Just looking into Larten's eyes made me feel our connection, I had fallen in love with him and mating just made it harder not to feel this way about him; I had not felt this way about anyone before so it was all new and exciting.

"Being over a hundred years old and having the body of a thirty year old is good. I have had many partners in my time and not one of them has shown me as much love and affection as you have, I have lived long enough to know when someone has deep feelings for me, you are not the first to have those feelings but you are the first person that makes me feel about you the same as what you feel for me. I am in love with you and I want to be with you forever." Larten said to me. I then said

"That is so sweet and it means a lot to me to hear you say that about me; no one has ever been this close to me, you are my first and the only vampyre I shall ever be with. When you die no one will take your place just as no one will take my place in your heart." We then kissed passionately once more and I turned over and went to sleep because the sun had come up.

When nightfall came Larten got breakfast sorted and then we decided to hunt as our energy was low due to our long mating session. We needed to feed to regain our strength but I was in no shape for it, I was weak and I felt like every muscle in my body had been used to excess as they hurt so badly and every single part of me ached. I could not walk; I was so weak on my feet that I fell over twice; I had dizzy spells and unusually blurred vision. Larten was really worried as it was unusual for a vampyress to become ill after mateship. I had no idea what had caused it but we had mated for a long time and I put it down to exhaustion and I just needed to rest and have a feed so I asked Larten to bring me some fresh blood back. I got back into bed and fell asleep; Larten woke me when he came home with a canteen of blood in one hand. When he spoke to me he had blood stained teeth so he had taken a lot of blood, which meant that he had lost a lot of energy during our intimate time together. Larten had blood on his lips as well so he must have known that he may not have got another opportunity to feed for a while so he took a load in while he had the chance to. I had a good feed as well; out of the canteen that Larten had filled for me.

The night drew on and I felt better but my muscles were killing me still; my vision was good now and my balance was back to normal but every time that I moved it hurt. Larten got some herbs and some other items, I asked him what he was doing and he said

"I am going to make a patch that will help with the pain, we have no modern medicine so I use herbs and other plants to heal ailments, the plants I am using will react with the other ingredients and that will make the patch warm, the heat will help your muscles, my water has been cut off or I would have recommended a hot bath. There is water in the stream down the road which we can use but it needs to be boiled first. My electricity bill is very expensive so we will have to cut back a little. We will be going on a long journey tomorrow that will take a few weeks so we have had a good feed tonight as where we are going people are scarce and towns are few and far between. You must be well enough to travel or you may not make our destination in a decent condition; the council will think badly of me for not taking care of you though I actually have, the Princes will not like what I have done but we can try to prove them wrong in their opinions if you prove yourself as worthy a vampyress as ever there was." I then asked where we were headed and he said

"Why to the council gathering at our own retreat in the mountains, you do not want me to be the only vampyre you know do you? You need friends in the clan as on the battlefield I may not be there to bail you out and the Trials of Death are tough but without friends you will fail for sure; I cannot teach you everything and that is where Seba comes in, he was my mentor and he will teach you what I cannot." Larten replied as he put warm bandages full of herbs around my body; the effect was instantaneous and I felt better as the smell of the herbs was pleasant and invigorating. It was like aromatherapy but it was helping my muscles and not just my nasal passages. I went to bed when Larten had finished putting the herbs on my body, I slept quite well and when I awoke the pain had subsided and I felt fine. I had some breakfast and then I went to find Larten who was not anywhere to be found, I called him and there was no answer so I sat on the sofa and watched the telly until he came home, hours went by and I was panicking but then I noticed a note on the table; the writing and spelling was awful but I made out the message, it said

Shanon

I hav gon owt tu go fishing. I wil se ou sun, I wil be bak at midnite.

I checked the time and it said ten thirty so I just had to sit and wait; he had probably gone because of the tide and he had probably flit as the beach was miles away, he had probably gone to get some supplies for our journey; he may even have stopped off at the circus so the owner would know to take us off of the program as we were going for quite a while. I packed up my bag ready to go, I had no idea what the weather would be like but Larten said mountains which usually meant low oxygen, heavy snow and bitterly cold wind. I packed as much food as I could, filled our canteens and got our survival packs out as well as our sleeping bags and blankets, I put my heavy duty boots on and got ready to go by eleven so that we could leave immediately and make the most of the darkness.

Larten returned and I jumped on him for I had not seen him for hours and to me those hours seemed like a lifetime. He held me close to him like I was precious before he kissed me. The kiss was full of longing, lust and making up for lost time. Larten walked over to the sofa and he sat down; I was on his lap still kissing him and holding his hands when he suddenly pulled away and moved which was not like him at all; it made me wonder what the problem was so I asked him

"Why did you pull away from me just now? Is there a problem?"

"I pulled away because I do not want you to get ill again. When we start we do not tend to stop and we have to leave soon; the dogs are outside harnessed up ready to go and you have already packed our back packs but there is no problem between us." I then replied sarcastically

"Well it was not very nice, next time I will not do that I will completely ignore you and then wait until you beg me to touch you."

"Well if that is the way you feel then I cannot be responsible for you and your emotions; this trip is lethal to vampyresses who go it alone and you are only half vampyre so you are more at risk than most. I love you but we need our bond to be strong and unbreakable as this trip will test us to the limit. There will be times when we will need to rely on each other to fight and to help the other person survive." Larten responded.

We both left at this point and picked up our back packs, the dogs and my wolf were yapping and barking with excitement; my wolf led the pack and they had all been trained to pull a sledge and to find the best route through the mountains.

I took the reins while Larten tied our things onto the sledge. He got in beside me and said that we were ready to go if we had everything. I checked the list and made sure that we had everything then I shook the reins and we were off. We were in a town so we had to head out to the countryside and then to the mountains from there. It was really fun in the sledge and the dogs knew what to do, I loved it and we were going at top speed over hard ground and not many dogs could handle that; though they were wearing special shoes that protected their feet.

Chapter 6 the Vicious Vampaneze

We reached the countryside and we found a cave that had been built for the journey so we holed up there until the rain passed on; we had gotten drenched on our way to this place. Luckily we had lots of spare, dry clothing and the dogs had coats to wear so we were not actually in that much trouble.

The cave had some chairs and a table, two coffins and a bed included in it so it was like a mini flat, it was kind of cold but it was better than the fields that we had been sleeping in. we put our lanterns on hooks so they acted like light bulbs and we built a fire in the middle to make our food on, we found some straight twigs and made a spit so we could hang a pot over the fire and we could roast meat on it as well. We had disposable plates, bowls, cups and cutlery because it was lighter to carry and we didn't have to wash up afterwards either, it also came in packs of fifty or two hundred and fifty so we had enough to last us for the whole journey.

We had a good rest because we travelled from sun set until the sun got too strong because unlike in books vampyres can actually take up to four hours of sunlight before they die.

We had quite forgotten our little fight that we had before we left; we were both making an effort to get along as we did rely on each other quite a bit. I expected Larten to hunt and bring back blood for me and he expected me to help him and do my fair share of watching out for danger while he slept.

I got up a bit earlier than usual to go down to the stream to get some water to cook our lunch in when I thought I saw someone so I drew my dagger and went to investigate, it was a man with a suit on and he saw me coming so he came over to me, I said to him

"Who are you? I have not seen anyone with a purple face before. Are you on your way to the mountains as well?"

"I am Daryl and no I am not going to the mountains, are you?" he asked.

I then replied

"Yes I am with my boyfriend and my husky sledge team."

"Oh are you? That is so cool man. Why do you have a dagger?" Daryl asked

"For protection mainly as I have no idea if there are any wild beasts around; also it has a practical purpose in hunting for gutting what I kill to eat and feed from." I answered

"You said feed from, what do you mean?" Daryl asked

"Nothing, I only meant that I eat what I kill and nothing is wasted; what we do not eat the wolf and huskies have." I replied for Larten had told me not to say that I was a Vampyress for it could get me killed.

"You have a wolf? That's wicked man." Daryl said

"Yes Spirit leads my husky team and she is so nice natured as wolves go but she is wild so she could turn on us; I do not think she would though as I raised her from eight weeks of age." I replied and shook his hand in friendship; then he saw my scars and I noticed his.

"If you have been blooded then how come you are not going to the council? You know that the council is held once every twelve years right?" I asked

"I am not a vampyre, I am vampaneze and we don't have council meetings." Daryl said

"You are a vampaneze? What is that when it is at home? I thought that there were vampyres and vampyresses; are there vampanesses too?" I asked in surprise as I had never heard of a vampaneze before.

"You are a vampyress who has not heard of us? I thought that we were famous being your arch enemies and all that jazz. I hate fighting to be honest and if I could turn back the clock I would be a vampyre instead." Daryl said as he drew his sword in defence of my dagger. I panicked at this point but I held my ground saying that he could walk away and I would not say a word to anyone about this so he would be safe.

"You would do that? You know that I could kill you now but as you are so young I will let you live this once, if our paths cross again it may be a different story but we will see." Daryl said as he turned and walked off, I followed and said thanks for being so kind and merciful to me.

I headed to the stream and got the water before returning to the cave.

When I told Larten about it he said that we were in danger as where one vampaneze was there were a hundred as they hunted and killed humans to feed from in packs. He could not believe that he had let me go and he said that I was lucky to be alive and if it had been any other vampaneze I would be dead for certain.

We got our things together and we left the cave. We travelled at top speed to put distance between us and them as they could be tracking us for all we knew, they may have wanted to kill us and take our things as we were carrying so many vital items of equipment that anyone desperate enough and hell bent on survival would take us on and fight to the death.

We must have been travelling for a week at least when we spotted a band of vampaneze going off to hunt; I saw that Daryl was with them so we made a plan to slay them all and take Daryl hostage for information on their location and plans that they may have made to interrupt the council or worse start another war over territory and blood feud feeding rights. My part in the plan was to go up to them and engage them, playing the innocent girl that I had been when I met Daryl but Larten had trained me to fight and kill efficiently since then and he filled me in on all the history; I was well prepared now as I had two daggers, a long sword, a scimitar which is a curved blade that is the length of a sword and a belt that was full of shurikens; shurikens are throwing stars that have a blade on each side. We vampyres and vampaneze alike are not allowed to use missile weapons such as throwing spears, bows and arrows, grenades or guns.

I got my courage up and ran to where the vampaneze were, I stood right in front of them with blood on my lips and around my eyes with my sword drawn and ready to use, my wolf at my side bearing her fangs and growling. There must have been about twelve of them all armed and lethal, Daryl was the first to speak

"Well we meet again little half breed, now I will kill you for sure, these are my band by the way and they will kill you if I don't manage to. Is it just you or is your boyfriend going to rescue you? I think that you were abandoned as a baby and a vampyress raised you as her own; then she blooded you and then she was killed and left you to fend for yourself with instructions to go to the council and ask for help. Am I right?"

"You could not be further than the truth, I chose to become an angel of the night; I faked my death with help from my lover and then flit into the night with him to begin a new life that is full of danger and excitement." I replied. Then I launched an attack and stabbed Daryl cleanly in the heart, it was a very lucky shot and he fell to the ground dead. My wolf went wild and attacked who she could then Larten released the huskies and joined in with the fight, we killed all but the youngest one, a boy of about ten who had not been blooded yet. We took him with us and asked him to tell us what he knew about the vampaneze and he said

"I know nothing about the vampaneze, we were going hunting and you killed my father, two older brothers, my uncles and my cousins just because they were threatening you. You are an evil blood drinking, human slaying fiend." We then explained that we were not the evil ones the vampaneze were, they killed humans to feed and we vampyres protected humans from them, we then asked the boy if he knew what he was going to be in the future and he said that he was going to be a vampyre hunter as his sister had been a victim of vampyres, they apparently made her into a vampyress and then made her take the trials, she failed and she was killed. The boy went on to say that his mother died of cancer and his father and other members of the family had raised him to be a hunter in revenge for his sister. He had no idea that his family were all vampaneze until today; Daryl had been the brother that he looked up to and relied upon.

We decided to take the boy with us to the council for advice; if needs be we would raise him and help him deal with the loss of his sister who had been named Holly Stevens, the half sister of Keera and cousin of Kyra who were also vampyresses though they were alive and well.

Chapter 7 a Piece of Unexpected Good News

We had been travelling for near enough two months and we were almost at our destination. We were going along in the sledge over the snow when we saw three females going towards the summit; we rode over to them and who would it be but Arra Sails who was Larten's friend and behind her were Keera and Kyra who were looking in great condition considering that they were on foot.

When Jamie saw his two sisters he ran over to them and when Kyra and Keera turned around they were so pleased to see him; they came over to us and we all had a long chat.

"Larten, Shannon these are my sisters, Kyra, Keera meet the people who rescued me and saved me from vampaneze doom." Jamie said

Arra then said

"Long time, no see Larten, what is it fifty years since we did the same thing on the back of two wild stallions? You see Shannon, Larten and I go back a long time; way before you or your parents were alive I bet. I am over two hundred after all. I was Larten's mate once but it did not work out as I set my sights on higher goals in life; Larten wanted to settle down and stay here; I yearned for adventure and fighting so he ended it after I fell for my current partner who is the same as me in many respects and he is one of Larten's ex students who wanted a more practical life just like me; we got together out of spite for the way that Larten treated us and we fell in love and have been a mating pair ever since." Then Kyra and Keera said

"Larten you saved our brother and we are so grateful that he is alive and unharmed; if you ever need a friend or someone to duel with we will be here to help." Kyra then said to me

"I am sorry that you had to kill my family; I would not want that for anyone but thank you for getting to Jamie in time for he will be one of us now and not our enemy."

"It was just lucky really, we did not plan it but our paths crossed and there was no other option." I said as we all headed to the mountain gates together.

We shared out our blood as they had not fed for a while and we split our rations so we all had enough to keep us going. We reached another, larger cave that we all stayed in until the night came when we would finally make the main gate together as one group and then we could all enter the halls and have a wicked time.

We all got to know each other when we stayed in the cave. There were enough beds and we cooked a feast and split it; we roasted a boar and we had some vegetables, some fruit and lots of vodka that Arra bought along. I got absolutely hammered and when it was time to move I was not fit to drive the sledge so Kyra did and Larten carried me all the way to the gate.

When we arrived at the gate as a group the guards asked us for our names so he could check the list and make sure that we were all welcome as some vampyres had been exiled for breaking our laws. The guard stopped at my name and Jamie's name but Larten explained who I was and Jamie's sisters said that they were the only family he had so he got let in too on the condition that he was blooded when he was ready.

I entered the halls and I could not believe how many vampyres had come, Larten took my hand and led us all to a table so we could get some food and some nourishing blood within us.

I put my wolf in the kennel block with the huskies and made sure that only I tended to them as they were not that tame. Then after I had done that I took my snake to one of the store masters and asked for a larger tank as Shady had grown a lot since I first had him.

I asked Larten where we would be staying and he got Seba to show us to our quarters. Seba Nile was the Quarter Master and his friend Vanez Blaine who I met on the way to mine and Larten's quarters was the Games Master.

Our quarters had a double bed inside and it was furnished as well with everything we could want. There was no electric but there was running water so again we used our lanterns as light bulbs. After we had unpacked our things Seba came back with some clean clothes for us and some spare bed linen in case we needed it.

Seba then had a good catch up with Larten as they had not seen each other in a very long time and he wanted to hear everything; he was intrigued about me and why Larten had chosen me when I was only just thirteen when we had met some ten months ago. I explained to Seba that I had actually asked to be a vampyress and that I was perfectly happy with what I had achieved; I said that Larten had taken excellent care of me and that I was honoured to be his mate.

When Seba left Larten and I had a good long chat; we had not had much opportunity so it was nice. We sat on the bed and talked as the chairs were not comfy to sit in for a long period of time; besides Larten and I had not mated since before we left as we had not had time and it had been too dangerous. We did have a mating session but we did not do it for as long as my muscles may have hurt again; it was cool though and I had a good time. When we mated it was like we were reaffirming our bond and it made us stronger as a couple; I had missed it so much so when we actually mated I felt so good and it made me feel really vampysh and ready for anything. We kissed and held each other really close, we then rolled over and I felt light headed and then it made me remember why I loved him so much.

"That was fun. I want more of you and you do not need to hold back, I can take you." I said as we snuggled up together.

"It was meant to be me showing you how I feel about you; it is a bonus if you enjoy it that much." Larten replied

"Well how could anyone not enjoy that; I mean it feels so good to share something intimate between us as that is what being mates is all about; having something that no one else has and sharing it. When you do those things to me it makes me feel alive and loved. No matter what happens to me I will love you and you will be in my heart forever." I said in response and Larten then said

"Well that is very sweet but there are a lot of vampyres here who have good looks as well; what happens if you fall for them? Then where will we be?" I replied to this comment by saying

"Well you will just have to trust me; I will never cheat I swear. I could not live if I did as it would hurt you and I would not dare to do that anyway as if you cheat then you get dumped for being unfaithful." Larten then replied to me

"Well I will take your word for it but if you break your word then I will have no choice but to leave you in the care of Arra or one of the Stevens sisters; I could not bear to have to look at you knowing that you mated with someone who is not myself." I then leant forward and kissed Larten and he kissed me back properly; then we linked our fingers and our scars matched up. I felt so special and we got really intimate with one another again; it was our way of making a promise to be faithful to each other.

We went downstairs to the main hall as there was a dance going on and I had not had the chance to socialise yet; I wanted to make some friends and I wanted to meet some new people. I did not know how to dance but I watched the other couples Arra seemed to be particularly good she and her partner were doing all kinds of moves and it looked really cool.

All the dresses and suits looked really smart. I felt a little out of place but I got into it when a vampyre came over and asked to dance; I told him that I was in a mateship with someone but he said that it was ok as he was a Prince and he was with someone too, I could hardly refuse a Prince could I? I was still a little girl at heart but with a lust for blood. Anyway all girls dream of meeting a Prince and tonight would be my turn. So we started to dance and I soon learnt the steps; it wasn't hard but then I was doing lifts as well and then it got tricky but the song ended so it wasn't that bad and Larten came in just as I had finished dancing. Larten came over to us and then he saw who I was with so he started a conversation

"Evening Sire, I see that you have just danced with my stunningly beautiful mate, of course I do not mind."

"Well it is nice to dance and as you know there are only a hundred vampyresses and there are over fife hundred males so you are lucky if you have a mate and you are even luckier if you have one who is like you or Arra and if I dare say the two sisters are not that bad either." the Prince who was called Vancha March replied. I then said

"Well thank you for the dance it was nice; now I am thirsty so if you would be so kind as to show me where the bar is we will see you later Sire." then Larten and I walked off towards the bar. The bar was like a normal bar and there were all sorts of things to drink and it was completely free. I wanted blood and alcohol as I could now drink and nobody would care that I was only thirteen. I asked Larten what I should be drinking and he said to have either vodka and coke or a real bloody Mary. I decided to try vodka and coke as the idea of blood and vodka did not sound appealing but it was one of Larten's all time favourites so he had one. We sat at one of the tables and we were both wearing red as it was Larten's favourite colour.

The vodka and coke tasted nice but because vodka is a spirit I had to be careful as my tolerance was not that high and I had been hung over from the previous nights' exploits with Arra and four bottles of pure Russian vodka that we split between the five of us. Arra came over to us when we were sitting at the table, she was with her mate who I had not met before, his name was Sirus and he was one of Larten's ex assistants who had grown tiresome of his teachings and wanted a more practical life so he decided to go it alone and out of spite he got with Arra to hit him where it hurt the most and Arra wanted revenge after what he had put her through so she went along with it, fell in love and stuck with Sirus for love but more for lust. Larten was of course civil to Arra as they had remained good friends throughout all of the unpleasantness and fights and Sirus was still Arra's mate so Larten could not really insult him without hurting her and to me it mattered not in the slightest as I just wanted to be friends with as many people as possible. It must have been nearly dawn when we went to bed; I was absolutely shattered and Larten had ended up having a skinful even by vampyre standards so he came in drunk as a skunk and he was talking in some weird language; it sounded like a middle Eastern language so I did not understand one word of it but he was ok when he was in bed asleep.

When I woke up I felt fine and I wanted breakfast but Larten was sound asleep and snoring so I left him to it as he would probably be hung over when he awoke. I decided to get dressed and go down to make something, I did not mind having human food as I was still half human but I wanted to eat vampyric food as well so I asked what vampyres had and they said that they would have porridge with blood in it instead of milk or they would have blood on its own or they would have some leftover bat wing broth which I did not fancy so I settled for a box of chocolate cornflakes instead and some milk that I had brought with me from home.

Larten finally came down to eat and just as I thought he was hung over. He seemed pleased to see me; he was clutching his head though which meant that he must have had a headache which was a standard symptom of a hangover. He came and sat with me with a cup of strong coffee in one hand and a plant in the other. I assumed that it must have been his natural headache remedy. I finished my breakfast and Larten had just started his; he had a plate full of things that I had not seen before, strange cuts of meat and other plants, I thought that it must have been a vampyre delicacy as it was all cooked and laid out nicely on the plate but it looked foreign, Larten was not English so it made sense, he was of middle Eastern decent and his accent was Romanian or from around those parts; that explained his love of vodka and his love of strange food and drink that I had not heard of.

After we had both finished eating Larten took me to Vanez as he had some jobs for me to do. Every vampyre pulled their weight and if they did not then they were not respected and became of poor standing. Larten hated slackers and he expected everything to be done on time and to the best standard; he did not mind how it was done just as long as it got done.

My jobs were only basic things. I had to clean the bars and make sure that the staves were in order as they were Arra's pride and joy. Then I had to wash some clothes in the stream, it was not hard but it tended to be boring after a while. My final job was to check the equipment in the Halls of Sport and Vanez helped me by showing me what to look for.

By the time my jobs were done it was lunch time so I went to the canteen and ordered some food; after I had eaten I bumped into Arra in one of the corridors and I asked her to teach me how to duel on the bars as it looked like great fun, until you got knocked off and fell eight feet to the ground as I did several times. Eventually I got the hang of it though and soon a small crowd was watching us train, Larten came in and joined the crowd which put a smile on my face and made me concentrate harder on trying to knock Arra off the bars. We were not in an official match so when I finally succeeded in knocking Arra off I did not get anything for it as normally you got a prize if you knocked Arra off as it was almost impossible and anyone who did got instant respect. There was still a lot of cheering going on though and when we stood next to each other we looked quite similar except my hair was a golden brown or bronze and Arra's was raven black and she was quite a bit taller than me; but we had nice skin, curves in all the right places, we were both athletic and we both had a few crowd pleasing tricks to do. Arra double back flipped to dismount the bars and I leapt off the bars then Larten caught me in mid air and lowered me down to the ground gently. I would never have jumped if I did not have complete faith in Larten to catch me as what I did could have killed me if I had landed wrong half vampyress or not.

Arra decided to train me every day for a month and then we would have a match at the end of the month to see if I could knock her off of the bars in front of the clan and win the trophy that would have my name engraved on it and I would then put it in the cabinet in my room to look at and admire.

There was another party in the evening so I spent a little bit of time getting ready because I wanted to look nice so that more than one person would dance with me as it got boring if you had the same partner all night.

I decided to wear one of my long draping dresses as it was a formal occasion and they accentuated my figure. My dress was black and purple with lace and it had hooks up the back and long sleeves with a high collar and it was slightly low cut; I bought it from a fancy dress store and it only cost fifteen pounds which was a bargain. I had some matching jewellery to wear and some shoes that had small heels on so that I could dance without my feet hurting.

The party got underway and the music was good, it reminded me of home because the music was modern and English; at least vampyres had good taste in party tunes and what made it better was a table full of party food, a battery powered karaoke machine and a whole bar full of alcohol and fresh, warm human blood. I was having a great time; it is nice that even vampyres can have fun once in a while and yes I did miss my parents but I did not miss their strict rules.

Larten met up with me in the room and he had put some robes on which looked like they were made out of velvet or a similar material; he had hung his cloak on one of the coat racks but he still had his family emblem on because it was on his belt buckle and where the robes joined at his neck; his sleeves were draping, quite wide, long and his hands only just came through the sleeves.

Larten had clothes on under his robes but they were just plain red and boring so he did not want to get too hot or he would have to remove his robes to reveal a red T-shirt and trousers. We looked like proper vampyres and everyone else was dressed similarly, the theme was seventeenth century nobility so I did not look out of place.

I had loads of food and soon I felt like dancing so I sat down and waited for someone to come over and ask me to dance; it did not take long before I saw a familiar pair of deep blue eyes looking down at me and I looked up to see Larten standing over me looking really bored and ready to dance. Larten held out his hands and I took them, stood up and got led to the dance floor where there were a flock of vampyres dancing and socialising with one another. Unfortunately Larten did not know any of the modern dances so I had to show him the moves but he got the hang of it soon enough and we were having a great time on the dance floor.

We had a few people watching us and I found it unnerving being watched so I told Larten and he took me off of the dance floor and into one of the adjoining rooms where there was nobody else around. We sat down on one of the benches and talked, a few vampyres came in and out as the W.C was in there but they left us alone to talk which was nice of them as gossip seemed to spread like wild fire around the mountain; there was hardly anywhere to talk in the halls as every hall led into another hall and there were vampyres everywhere. They were constantly in the corridors or in the halls; or the new recruits who were trying to find their way around made the corridors congested so it was a very special thing if two vampyres found a place to talk without being interrupted or worse listened to by the vampyre heralds whose job it was to get news and messages to the Princes so they knew what was going on at all times and the heralds were known for spreading gossip about couples and other non important information; we would have a newspaper or bulletin boards but seventy five percent of the clan could not read as they were born in the time when schools were for rich boys only and not your standard child who was around at the time.

Larten and I stayed on the bench for a while and we had a long conversation about our feelings and what we could do to improve our relationship.

The party was still in full swing and the music was blaring; to a human it would be loud but to us with our extra sensitive hearing it was almost deafening but it was cool music anyway.

Larten and I decided to go back to the party as we had not had any fun and I had only danced with Larten and I wanted to dance with as many people as possible. I sat down and soon many vampyres were asking me to dance so I started to have a good time and Larten was dancing with some of the other vampyresses so he enjoyed himself too.

The party finally ended at midday and that was late; I stayed for the whole thing and it was a wicked party luckily there were no windows or the sun would have come shining through as it was a beautiful day outside.

I went to bed as I was shattered and I had to be up at seven in the evening to take my dog pack out before I had training with Arra, my duties and then hunting so it was going to be an action packed evening.

I went up to my quarters and put my night dress on, Larten was in the bathroom so I had to wait as usual but he came out soon enough and when he did I went in and had a hot shower which made me feel really good. I went and got into bed after my shower and Larten turned round and kissed me passionately, then he held me close to him and he ran his hands all over my body and I did the same to him; then it got more intimate because he started to pulse his tongue deeply into my mouth and I did the same to him, we rolled over and over again until Larten was on top of me so that he could mate with me again and when he did it felt so cool and in my heart I knew that nobody could make me feel the way that Larten had made me feel, I had never felt so alive in all of my life and when we kissed it was like time had stopped and it was just us and our bodies entwining and Larten had been right when he had said that he felt burning passion and desire within my dark soul as I could feel it within me; the monster had emerged and it took over my body like a disease; I wanted more and Larten was the only one who could satisfy my hunger. We were like wild animals when we mated; we bit and scratched each other, we howled and we slept like animals too as we tended to curl up together and not rise until the moon was high in the sky.

When I awoke at seven in the evening and I looked in the mirror I could see what a day we had enjoyed; I had scratches down my back and bites on my neck and chest, I remembered it but not all of it and Larten had a few bruises as well.

I think that we had done most damage to the bed though as the sheets were slashed and the duvet was covered in blood and yet we felt no pain for all of our vampyric fun.

We headed down to breakfast and we must have eaten the same amount as six people; I was ravenous and parched as we had enjoyed it so much we did not stop to eat or drink.

I looked battered and people could see it but I was not worried as many vampyres had scars and to them it was normal to see scars and bruises caused by fighting or playing in the Halls of Sport.

I rushed straight down to the Halls of Sport after I had eaten as Arra was waiting for me on the bars with a long staff in her hand. When Arra saw me she immediately knew what had happened as she had been Larten's mate so she was no stranger to the wounds that I had.

"I see that you were having fun last night. Are you ready to be battered and bruised some more?" Arra said

"Bring it on, after last night you are no challenge; so what if you give me bruises and batter me. That is half the fun of duelling; the adrenaline rush that you get." I replied to Arra as I hopped on the bars with my own staff.

We begun to train and Arra did not take it easy on me; she never did but she was a very good teacher and it did not take long for me to be able to perform a range of moves that were advanced enough to win a duel and entertaining for the audience at the same time. I seemed to have a gift as using a staff came naturally to me and even Arra said that she was impressed with how quickly I was learning the moves and putting combinations together.

I finished my training and then I went to do my duties which included cleaning the canteen with help from Jamie and Vanez and after that I had to hang up some decorations for the Festival of the Undead celebration which started tonight at midnight and finished in three nights time.

I finished my duties and then I went to the kennel block to feed and exercise my dog pack; my wolf was pleased to see me and she came over to me and sat down beside me ready for me to harness her up with the other huskies and then run them around the paddocks and the mountain sides.

I was not the only vampyre who had travelled with animal transport, many had come on horseback or by horse and carriage; the mountains were fully equipped to deal with animal transportation and they had stables, kennels and a cattery as well as a falconry centre and there was a vet surgery about ten miles away in case we had need of a vet.

Many vampyres had bought exotic pets with them so we had an exotic centre as well and my snake was in there so I went to feed it and handle it; Larten kept his spider in our quarters as she was too dangerous to be kept anywhere else.

I went up to the falconry centre next to help out Keera and Kyra with their Harris hawks, they had one each, they were stunning and very well trained; they were used to hunt for rabbits and other animals that could be eaten; they flew to the fist and everything and they never pecked or flapped. I got to fly them sometimes in the daytime as Keera and Kyra could not; obviously most of the animals were asleep at the time when we were awake so I usually did the morning rounds before I went to bed as I was the only half blooded vampyress in the clan.

In order to fly birds and exercise dogs and horses at night we used reflective equipment and lights so that we could be seen, as it was summer time it stayed light which made it easier but in the winter I would have to sleep at night and be awake in the daytime for their welfare and their wellbeing.

After I had finished dealing with the animals and my dogs were back in their kennels I went and got ready to go hunting with some other vampyres in order to bring back dinner for the clan. Hunting was fun except I had never done it before so it was daunting and exciting at the same time; my job was to help find the animals to hunt; it was not hard tracking deer but they were hard to spot in a pitch black forest in the middle of the night. We were relying on our enhanced night vision and our senses of smell and hearing to help us track down and kill as many as possible in the three hours that we had been given.

I got quite tired and I was on the verge of telling my group to give up and head back when we spotted a female and her fawn sleeping in some briars and trees; we approached her silently and stealthily and we slit her throat while she slept, then we bled her out and shared it between all of us; we took her young fawn with us back to the mountains so that we could raise it and then release it to be killed at a later date as we were not cruel. We were just doing what is necessary to survive in this practically baron and harsh world.

The other group had enjoyed success also as between them they had four stags and two braces of pheasants, eleven rabbits, one hare, a fox for the hawks and my dogs and a pair of partridges and their eggs.

We now had enough food to take back with us and it would feed us for tonight at least; feeding approximately seven hundred vampyres with our appetites is not easy at the best of times but with our supplies running low as well we had to hunt and hunt well at least twice a week just to get enough blood for everyone; also as it was the Festival of the Undead it made it harder as not only were more vampyres arriving but they expected a feast so our work was cut out; every clan member pitched in to help us and some of the others formed a group called the Raiders who would go into towns and villages and get as much food as they could and bring it back to us ready for the festival.

My stress levels were sky high but our efforts were rewarded with a place each at the Prince's table as we had put the work in to make the feast go according to plan.

Chapter 8 the Festival of the Undead

So the festival got underway and it was basically a chance for every vampyre and vampyress to celebrate their noble blood and heritage. There were dances and fights; some of the original clan members who had come up with the idea for a council and the festival told stories of the old times when the vampaneze had been joined to our clan and about how they had broken away some three hundred years ago and had become our enemies because under our laws they were not allowed to kill when they fed from humans.

Obviously this being my first festival I was not too sure on how to act and what to do but I had Vancha help me and soon I was joining in and fighting just as well as any male; Larten had trained me well and Arra had done a good job too so hardly anyone wanted to challenge me but I hopped on the bars and waited; soon enough someone challenged me to duel and they lasted about ten minutes before I knocked them off with a skull cracker which was Arra's signature move but I did mine differently to Arra so that they did not call me a copy cat; Arra usually swung her staff around in a circle and then attacked, I on the other hand went into the move by feigning a blow to the side of the head so they would block deliberately and then come down on their head twice with both ends of my staff.

The crowd were cheering and clapping and not one vampyre had the guts to come on the bars after I had defeated Vanez and a newly joined vampyre named Kurda Smalt.

As usual I leapt from the bars straight into Larten's waiting arms and he was very impressed; Arra was pleased with how much effort and dedication I had put in to learning to duel cleanly, fairly and well; Arra would not stand for bad sportsmanship, especially if she had trained the person to duel herself.

Larten and I had a brief sparring match where the aim was not to knock the opponent off but rather to hit them three times on the upper body, head or arms before they did it to you. It lasted five minutes as I did a combo move called a skull cracking rib smasher whack and you can guess what it entails from the name; luckily for me Larten was still intact when he admitted defeat and bowed as a sign of respect to me as I was handed my sparring trophy which had my name on it and the name of the person whom I had defeated.

I absolutely loved duelling and the heralds spread the news of my victories so everyone was wondering if Arra's reign as undefeated bars champion of champions was coming to an end; it was but in the worst way possible...

Chapter 9 Treachery and Tragedy

An investiture was soon to take place. It was Kurda Smalt's who was now a General and soon to be a Prince. The investiture would happen after the festival celebrations had closed and once he had filled in all of his necessary requirements such as passing the Trials of Death and getting enough Vampyres to vote for him to become a Prince.

Kurda had blonde hair in locks to his shoulders and he wore a blue suit; he was called a fashion obsessive as if something was in and he did not have it he went and bought it even if it was for girls or if it looked vile on him. Kurda was also known to be a Vampaneze negotiator and a pretty boy who may have been gay but we did not know if he was as he always kept his sexuality a closely guarded secret.

As soon as he said that he was a Vampaneze negotiator it made me shiver with cold fear but then I remembered that he was also due to become a Prince and Vampaneze negotiators were not all that bad as they served a purpose. That purpose was to keep the vampaneze happy so that there were no more wars.

So the night of the investiture came and Kurda had put on all of his finery including regal blue robes and a ceremonial sword.

I decided to go down to the store rooms to get some barrels of beer and ale but instead of finding beer and ale in the storeroom I found a nest of fifty vampaneze at least. I screamed and ran away as fast as I could right back to the main hall and the heralds.

"Vampaneze! In the storerooms everyone, heralds, heralds!" I shouted as the heralds turned up and spread the news straight away to the Princes. I ran and got the warriors together and then Larten and Arra turned up and in all the confusion Kurda had slipped out; he had betrayed us all and now it was war!

"What can we do? The vampaneze will take over the mountain and use it as a power base. We must stop them and protect the Stone of Blood." Larten said to the Generals who had gathered in the Hall of Discussion to see what could be done about the invasion of our most hated and loathed enemy.

"Hey guys here is an idea, how about we send the babies of Madam Octa into the storeroom to flush out the vampaneze and then force them to fight on our own terms; we know the corridors they do not and if we can lead them into a trap of some kind we will win and we will not have many casualties either that way." I suggested.

"Good thinking, Larten you be in charge of Operation Arachnid and the rest of you prepare to set the trap by forming a band of warriors and vampyres who can fight and forming an ambush of some description, I will release my wolf and the other predators and make a distraction while you guys prepare yourselves, may the luck of the vampyres be with us all tonight and even in death may we all be triumphant." I said to the gathered Generals and other council members." Then we set to work.

"Oh and if you see Kurda interrogate him and then execute him for high treason but do not kill him before he has been interrogated; by the way watch yourselves as the vampaneze down in the storerooms may be a distraction so be aware. Now let us go and slay some vampaneze bastards!" I finished.

We rushed off and Larten followed me to the kennel block; I released my dog pack, the hawks and the other deadly animals. I also prepared cavalry and infantry in case of an outside siege.

"Shannon my love wait. I could die tonight and if I do I want you to remember me forever and I want you to have this as you are in my family now and never forget it, if we survive then we will be rewarded for our bravery, courage and your superb battle tactics. Now kiss me as it could be our last." Larten said to me as he gave me his family emblem cloak pin and used it on my own cloak; then we kissed and parted to fulfil our roles as warriors and slay vampaneze.

I took my animals up to the halls and assembled them, my dogs and wolf caught the scent of the vampaneze and ran which enabled our trackers to follow and set the ambush; they killed some on the way which enabled us to hold them back and that allowed Larten to get into position with his spiders and his flute.

When the spiders attacked the vampaneze ran outside right into our cavalry and infantry and they were slaughtered but the hidden vampaneze in the caves had only just been tracked; Larten let his spiders go into the caves first and then we entered into an all out battle. I fought like any Prince and I must have killed four or five vampaneze within twenty minutes; all around me was chaos, the yells of the dying in pain, the silence of the dead, the clashing of weapons and the shouting of orders to advance and finish the job and then for a moment everybody stopped and watched; Arra had found the leader of the troop of vampaneze who was named Glalda and she had got into a vicious fight with him; Arra had a mace and a short sword and Glalda had a long sword. They fought like animals; my wolf stepped in to help but got knocked back and hit her head and became unconscious; the hawks had blinded Glalda and he had blood everywhere on him but unfortunately for Arra he made a slashing move which she blocked and as she came in to strike Glalda stuck his sword in her side and she fell to the ground bleeding badly; I rushed in and killed Glalda by slicing his head clean off with my scimtar. When I did this it was to avenge Arra and no other reason; I rushed to her; she was on a stretcher being carried to the medical wing still losing blood; she had been hit right where her kidney was and I knew it was bad though Arra made no complaint she just lay there and slipped into unconsciousness.

The medics did their best to save her; they actually revived her and sewed her wound and then patched it but she had lost too much blood and with no possibility of a transfusion Arra died; she held on for as long as she could and Larten was there by her and so was Sirus and myself; her last words were feint but I heard her say

"Larten I love you and I want you to look after your mate and Sirus I want you to remember me and whenever you kill a vampaneze think of me and yes I love you too."

I had my minor wounds stitched up which did hurt but it did not bother me much; I was more worried about Larten as he had just walked out of the medical wing and had not been seen by anybody since Arra had died.

I left the medical wing; people were still coming in including some non blooded vampets who were humans hoping to become vampaneze but had failed. As they were humans they were treated and then blooded so that they would become vampyres; of course they were told everything and the history between the two clans and of course we asked them if they wanted to be blooded, most did not but those who did seemed ok and they enjoyed their new lives. The humans who chose not to be blooded were allowed to return home with the knowledge that they could ask for help from our clan and they could join whenever they wished; they were also welcome to come and live here if they wanted to; we named their group the vampyrites which meant humans who have a sympathy to our clan.

I returned to my quarters and still there was no sign of Larten and that made me worry; I had no choice but to go to the heralds and tell them to ask around and see if they could find Larten as I was worried sick.

I asked the Princes to put out an alert for anyone to come forward and reveal Larten's whereabouts; some managed to track his mental signal but they could not get fix on his location because his emotions were blocking it.

I asked Seba if he knew where Larten was and he said that he had an idea but he was not sure if it was right so he took me there; it was not far from the mountains so we rode on horseback as it was easier and quicker than waking up my dogs who had been fighting all night and making them run when they were injured and weak.

We got to the place and it was silent, we heard nothing until we got to a pond and a shack in the trees; then we heard somebody walking around and then we heard a scream of a man dying so we rushed towards the noise and there we saw Larten killing vampaneze on his own with no back up and no weapons except his sword.

We joined in the fight and soon the nest was destroyed. Seba went back to the mountain after the fight so that we could talk but Larten did not want to talk and he let his grief turn into violence because he started to fight with me and then in an act of rage he went all out and attacked me; I defended myself and then he got me with his sword in the ribs, it was not deep but it bled a lot and when Larten saw the blood he stopped and took me back to the mountain on the other horse.

I went straight to the medical wing to be patched up and the pain was intense; Larten was by my side as he had caused the injury and he must have felt awful inside for not only having his closest friend die but actually taking his anger and frustration out on his own mate; I forgave him as I knew what he was going through but it was not nice being effectively stabbed in the ribs.

"Well Shannon have you got some more battle wounds? We patched you up earlier and this looks bad; the wound is not deep but it is long and your rib has been cut in two so this will take a long time to heal. We will have to realign the rib before we stitch up the wound and you will not be able to do anything; no mating, no hunting and certainly no duelling. In fact you are staying here until your wound is healed up properly." The Head Medic said. Then Vancha came in and said

"Larten I am shocked at how much damage you have caused to your mate; she needs an operation because of your anger and frustration; you will nurse her until she has healed and then you will tell the Generals what you have done so they can punish you accordingly. Violence is not tolerated here no matter what the circumstances are. I will get you some bereavement counselling but you must learn to control yourself and for the time being you are banned from carrying a weapon inside without my prior knowledge and authorisation. Shannon I am shocked and appalled and I wish you a speedy recovery, Larten will tend to your every need and he alone is responsible for this and he will pay for what he has done I will assure you that at least."

Larten handed over his weapons and then Vancha left to tell the other Princes about his declaration.

The medics then prepared me for my operation, there was no anaesthetic but they gave me a plant to eat that had analgesic properties; it tasted vile but it worked and when the medic popped my rib back into place it hurt but not as much as it would have done had I not eaten that repulsive plant. I got stitched up and then a patch was put over the wound and then my chest was bandaged up.

I felt ok but it was hard to sit up and eat; when I breathed it hurt and when I moved my left arm it hurt as the wound was on my left side and being left handed I was practically immobilised.

I spent most of my time bored and lonely as I did not have many friends and the ones I did have were really busy filling in for me as I could not work or do my duties so I spent much of my time asleep or playing on my games console that I had brought with me and my dogs were with me to guard me and with them there I was not as lonely as I would have been.

Being a vampyre gave me accelerated healing powers, the skin had healed but the bone was still growing so that is why I was still in the medical wing and I was not allowed to leave until the bone was fully healed; I had been in for a month already and now it was beyond a joke, it would take another two weeks at least if not longer.

I was allowed to walk around as long as it was in the medical wing, they had en entertainment block but it was only a place where you could play games or watch a play but there were no plays on as the battle had made the actors injured and now they could not perform. The games were board games that needed two players; with no electricity it was always boring if you were ill as the real entertainment was in the Halls of Sport or at the parties in the Main Hall.

Larten did a good job of looking after me; he was so apologetic and he made sure that I was treated like a first class vampyre; when Larten was there I deliberately annoyed him as it was funny but he never said a word as he knew that if he did he would be in more trouble with Vancha; I sometimes woke him up in the middle of the day to ask him to get me something and I could see how tired he was but it was my revenge as he had made me stay here for so long; when I no longer needed his assistance Larten had to have a public hearing to discuss his actions and his other punishment.

Chapter 9 the Public Hearing

Well I eventually healed up fully and I left the medical wing which was fantastic as I had just about had enough of that place.

Larten's hearing was scheduled for tonight and I had been asked to defend him though I was the victim as vampyre law states that if a couple have agreed to be mates and the act of mateship has taken place then the female is automatically forced to defend her mate even if he is the perpetrator of violence against her. I thought this law was stupid but it had its uses though I could not think of any.

I had to stand on the podium and tell the Generals what had taken place and then Larten would have his say; in order to defend Larten I would explain that Larten was grieving for Arra and that he had attacked me in anger and he was not thinking straight.

"Can you tell me Shannon what happened and how you suffered such a severe injury at your own mate's hands?" The General in charge asked me.

"Well sir I was worried about Larten as I had not seen him since Arra passed away when he was by her side; Seba helped me find him and when I found him he had destroyed a nest of vampaneze; Seba left us to talk and then we got into a fight, I defended myself as best as I could but I had been injured in the battle when I killed Glalda so I could not fight very well and Larten got me with his sword and cut me open breaking my rib in the process. I had to have an operation and then I spent two months in the medical wing being looked after by Larten under Vancha's orders; now I have healed up fully. In Larten's defence I will add that Larten was grieving for Arra and that he was not thinking when he attacked me; I will also add that Larten has taken great care of me and he has shown great remorse for his actions; Vancha can testify to this and so can the Head Medic." I explained

"Larten it is now your chance to say your piece." The General said

"Well it happened exactly as Shannon said; I was not thinking, the battle had made my adrenaline surge and killing the nest of vampaneze made it surge more; my grief exasipated the situation and I lost control of my temper and my emotions, I have had bereavement counselling and it has helped me no end, not only to deal with my anger and my emotional outbursts but also to deal with my remorsefulness at what I have done to Shannon, it has also helped me to cope with Arra's tragic loss and I feel like a different vampyre because of it."

The General then asked

"Larten we have heard the evidence and now it is time for you to tell us how you plead to the charges put before you. Are you guilty or not guilty of attacking your mate in a loss of control and grief for your ex mate?"

"I am guilty sir of all charges and I apologise for what I have put you all through, you have the right to lock me up but this would deprive the clan of a worthy fighter and of a true vampyre who not only admits to everything but is remorseful and who has actively sought help for his problems." Larten replied

"Well we will consider your case very carefully; in your defence I will say that your mate has defended you well and I believe that if not for Arra dying you would not have lost control of your emotions and this would not have happened; however what you did was appalling and unacceptable and it will not be tolerated in this clan; I will also add in your defence that you have been completely truthful and you have shown remorse for your actions and it takes a true vampyre to do that; also you have admitted to having a problem and you have sought help which I also give you credit for." The General in charge replied.

Then the Generals left to consider their verdict and the hearing was adjourned.

The Generals returned after an hour with their verdict. The General in charge said to us

"Well the verdict has now been decided and before I ask the foreman to deliver it I will say that it pains me when two vampyres such as yourselves are brought before us as you have both done things which prove that you are both worthy members of the clan and without your help we would not have won the battle as successfully as we did so I thank you both for that; Forman of the Generals can you reveal your verdict please?"

"Larten you have admitted your guilt and your remorse is clear; what stood out more was that you have admitted your problems and have got help for it; because of this we think that the only fitting punishment is that you should be cautioned and warned that if a repeat of this incident happens we will have no choice but to put you in jail for the safety of our clan, we are also going to suggest that you do not carry weapons around with you without our prior knowledge and consent unless there is a good reason for it." The Foreman said

"This hearing is now over; you can all leave except Larten who has to sign the caution notice with a witness." The general in charge said as I hopped off my podium and walked out of the hall.

I waited outside for Larten and it seemed to take a long time; when he came out he was holding a parchment in one hand and I noticed that he was no longer wearing his weapon belt; instead he was holding it.

"They said I can keep my weapons as long as they are locked in a safe cabinet until I need them; I can wear them outside or if I am in the Halls of Sport but not in the corridors or in the other halls without consent and a good reason; when it comes to self defence I may use a short sword or dagger but it must be sheathed otherwise and I cannot wear my shuriken belt unless we are going to battle or I am training with them outside."

Larten told me.

"I am sorry for this, I did not plan it at all but you know what Vancha is like." I said in response.

Chapter 10 the Execution of Kurda Smalt

The time had come to witness Kurda's execution as well as the executions of the four Generals who had thought up the plan. It was also the night of Arra's cremation ceremony that would take place after the executions.

Vampyres were executed in the Hall of Death by being put in a cage and then dropped into a pit of stakes until they died; their back faced the stakes as it was dishonourable not to see your death and face it like a true vampyre would.

Arra's cremation was a simple affair but every single vampyre had come to say farewell as she was well liked and everyone respected her; she passed the Trials of Death three times to prove that she was worthy enough to be in the clan. I was asked to say something so I said

"Arra was one of the best vampyresses that I had the pleasure to meet and spend time with; though we never had our duelling match I am sure that she would want me to keep training and to keep putting in the same amount of hard work that I did when she was alive; there is a part of her in all of us and that is the part that tells us to keep going; to hold on and never to surrender no matter what the consequences are. If she can see us now she will be happy because of what we have achieved as a clan. So it is with a heavy heart that I leave this platform by saying wherever you are Arra we will miss you and we hope that Paradise is what you expected it to be. Even in Death may you be triumphant Arra Sails of the vampyre clan."

Larten then took the torch and lit the pyre that held Arra's body and it burst into flames.

We all headed to the Hall of Death and now it was time to watch Kurda's execution. We all lined up in the hall and Kurda was led into the hall and he was dubbed in snake blood as it was a representation of his deceptive nature and bad tendencies.

Kurda was put into the cage and the Princes gave the order to execute him one by one and then he was dropped into the pit and he was dead by the time he came up again as one of the stakes had pierced his skull and another had pierced his heart.

When the executions were over we all went back to the main hall and we had a small party to celebrate Arra's life and to celebrate our victorious battle.

We raised a toast to Arra's name and we had a battle victory feast as well.

Some vampyres were upset because they had been friends with Kurda but they knew that he was a traitor so they enjoyed the party and forgot about him and his treachery.

When the party was over I headed back to my quarters to find that the door was locked; I knocked and then I heard two voices one was Larten's and the other was a man's. I knocked again and this time Larten opened the door and I saw Sirus inside with his cape askew and his eyes were red and bloodshot; he had black on from head to foot and he had a look of tremendous sadness and heartbreak on his face. Larten had a look of consoling and sympathy on his face so I knew that they had obviously been grieving in private as was the custom. To show emotion in public was a sign of weakness in the eyes of the clan.

I locked the door behind me when I came in and the three of us sat down and talked for a while.

"Sirus I know that you are hurting and Larten you are hurting too but you have to learn to move on; Sirus you need bereavement counselling and Larten you need to continue with yours as you are still hurting and you will hurt. Eventually you will get over it though and you will forget the pain. Then you can focus on the most important thing which is the good memories that you share between you; even though Arra cannot be here her spirit and her memory is. In a way she has not left you and she never will leave you because she is inside you and a part of her will always be inside you." I said

"That may be so but it doesn't stop me from wanting to hold her and wanting to be with her though; you are correct in saying that she is inside us both and no one can take that away from us no matter how hard they try." Sirus replied

"I guess this means that we will have to put all the messy business behind us and focus on the future; I never intended to boss you around and yes you were very rebellious but no more than most assistants; Sirus I am sorry for the way that I treated you and I want your forgiveness." Larten said

"Of course I forgive you and I am sorry for hurting you as well; I know what Arra meant to you and I shouldn't have done what I did as it hurt you more than what I thought it would. Can you forgive me too? I forgive you; you helped me when no one else would and you have introduced a world to me that I could not leave even if I tried. I know now that you only wanted what was best for me and that is fair enough; I have to admit though that you were a little strict at times but you also were one of the best things that has ever happened to me and you are one of the best vampyre tutors that I know; I guess that I want to thank you for making me the vampyre that I am tonight and I would not be alive if not for you so thanks." Sirus said to Larten and to this Larten said

"Of course I forgive you and I am sorry for all the nasty things I said and all the things I did to you." I then said

"Now you two have sorted it out I am shattered and did I not say that often a little talking goes a long way?"

"Yes you did and I am glad that we have had this conversation are you not glad as well Larten?"

"I am glad to have been given this opportunity to work things out after all these long years. I will fix a meeting with my bereavement counsellor if you wish so that you too can start to deal with your grief." Larten replied as Sirus left us to go to bed as was very late in vampyre terms.

Chapter 10 the Move to Vampyre Ville

The vampyre council came to an end and Larten helped me to pack up my things ready to return to our home as we had decided that the mountains would be empty except for the permanent guests who were either workers, in jail or too old to leave and of course the Princes stayed behind as well as this was their home.

The journey home was fun and as it was now Winter our dogs proved very useful; they loved travelling on the snow and we were able to travel further for longer as it got dark earlier.

We got home and it was just like old times; I paid the bills and Larten rewarded me by treating me to meals out and he was a very doting and loving mate. Larten did all the house work while I got to do whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to do it and I never worried about money as we both did regular shifts at the Cirque du Freak to pay for our expensive lifestyles.

One night when we were sitting on our luxury sofa together Larten said to me

"How would you like to go to Vampyre Ville? It is a place that is run by vampyres for vampyres and it is like a holiday park with clubs and bars; they have late opening leisure facilities as well and we both need a break; so what do you think? Do you want to go?"

"Well it sounds really cool, is it like a human holiday park with the opening times reversed?" I asked Larten

"Yes that is exactly what it is; you will love it there as they have everything that you could want and what is more it is free for us as I have season tickets to go; Arra and I went every winter to go skiing and ice skating and now I want us to do the same thing." Larten replied

"Well it sounds perfect, where is it? I would like to go as soon as possible." I said

"It is in Scotland because it always snows a lot there and they have the longest winters so it stays dark." Larten said

"Well if that is the case pack your bags and then can we go?" I asked

"We can go tomorrow as there is a night bus that leaves to go straight there from the stop down the road." Larten replied

We got an early day's sleep as we would have a lot to do before we left; I could not decide what to take because I had never been on holiday before let alone to a vampyre resort. I took everything that I could think of including swimming costumes, a few books, my games consoles, money, food for the journey, some new ice skates that I had bought, a skiing outfit with custom made skis, a whole load of makeup and fancy jewellery for the restaurants and clubs, my mobile phone to call my mates in the clan, some bottles of blood for the journey and some clothing. Larten was travelling light because he said that most of his things were there already locked away in one of the apartments where he usually stayed.

I was looking forward to the journey and when we got on the bus we saw a few familiar faces including Seba and Vanez; Vancha was also there with us. We picked seats at the back of the bus and then our luggage went in the holders at the top.

It would take a while to get there so I had brought my games console along and the bus driver had a television and video player which he put on for us.

It would take a few hours to get to Scotland because we had caught the bus in Shrewsbury where Larten had lived with Seba in the 1800's after he had left his parents back in Eastern Europe; obviously it had changed a lot and Larten had been there to see the changes and on the way he pointed out a few things to me that had changed or were still there but had been renovated.

I had some food on the trip as I had not eaten; I had some cake and a sandwich that I had made myself. I also had a bottle of blood with me that I shared with the other vampyres as a few had not fed for a while and they needed to feed.

After four hours we stopped at a service station as the driver needed a rest and we needed some hot food and a loo break.

The service station was quite used to coaches coming in but not with people that were dressed so strangely; then the boss came along and told the staff that we were the annual fancy dress group who went to a festival in Scotland every year.

We all made use of the services and I had my first KFC food in over a year and how I had missed it; I missed the proper toilets as well because the mountain had a hole in the ground that had a stream running underneath it to flush away the waste.

I stocked up on food and fizzy drinks before we left the services as I did not know when I would have it again. Most vampyres did not know about coke or lemonade except when it was mixed with alcohol and even then not everybody knew what it was.

We continued on the bus to Vampyre Ville and I watched the television while munching my way through popcorn, pick and mix sweets, KFC and some Fanta that I had not enjoyed since my last birthday party before I was blooded.

When the coach finally parked up in the car park of the Vampyre Ville holiday resort I got off of the bus and looked around; it was really cool. There were shops and rides, casinos and all kinds of pubs and clubs; they had electricity and everything you could want including a sauna and a heated swimming pool.

Larten and I went to the main reception where there was a nice looking vampyress behind the counter and she said

"Well I never thought that I would see you again after last year's sunlight fiasco but here you are. I take it you want the same villa as last year now that we have made the windows safe and sunlight free."

"Yes that would be good as most of my stuff is there and I have the key still, this is my new mate by the way.

Arra is dead along with Gavnur Pearl and six others who died in battle when the mountain was taken over by vampaneze due to a treacherous vampyre who nearly killed us all." Larten said

"Oh I am sorry to hear that, is Kurda ok? He is my mate and I have not heard from him for ages; still being a Prince I don't suppose he gets much time to write does he?" The receptionist asked us

"Well this will be a shock but Kurda was the one who let the vampaneze in; he was in league with them the whole time. He caused the battle where Arra died and now he has been executed for his treasonous ways. I thought that the heralds would have told you. I am so sorry that you found out this way." I said to her

"No that can't be true, Kurda swore allegiance to the vampyres I was there when he took his vows; you must be mistaken." The receptionist said

"I wish I was mistaken but I killed the vampaneze who killed Arra when he was under Kurda's orders to do so; his name was Glalda and he was a bastard let me tell you." I said to her

"But Glalda was my father and he died when I was six back in the year 1902. I got blooded by Kurda when I was 21 and we stayed together even though he was quite a bit older than me." The receptionist said.

"Your father probably faked his death and then joined the vampaneze not knowing or understanding the consequences of his actions." I said

"Yes that would make sense. Anyway this porter will take your luggage to your apartment and I hope that you enjoy your stay with us here at the Vampyre Ville holiday resort." The receptionist said as we followed the porter to our apartment.

The apartment had three bedrooms, a bathroom, a sitting room, a shower room, a kitchen and a storeroom. The apartment had electric and it was fully furnished; it was also plumbed in so it was quite a nice place to stay really. I noticed the large television, video player and DVD player; there was also space for a playstation or a game cube and I had brought both with me as I was not sure what was provided.

I unpacked my things and I put my food and drinks in the fridge for later. I then walked around and I had a good look at the apartment and the balcony that was facing the full moon; the balcony had chairs and a table on it with lights on it so that vampyres could sit in the moon and have a good look at the view.

I got changed and then I went downstairs and had a look at the other facilities with Larten who had also changed into a nice suit.

I was amazed at how this place could be hidden from so many humans and I was also amazed at how many vampyres there were; Larten had said that there were about 500 in the mountain at the time of the council and maybe a few who did not come but there were way more here at the resort and most of them I had never seen before.

Larten said that it had been a long time since a census had been taken and at the last count in 1956 there had been a few thousand but many had been hunted or killed in battle so the numbers had depleted but many more had joined since then so the total number was a blur.

We went to one of the restaurants and it was just like a normal one except everybody was wearing gothic attire such as high collars and jewellery that had bat or spider designs on; Larten said that they were VI's which stood for vampyre impersonators; humans that wanted to be vampyres and did everything to help them in return that they would be blooded one night, they were like vampyrites except that they were more into it than most vampyrites were.

There were clan members there too and we could tell them apart as they were not wearing gothic attire but instead they were dressed normally and we recognised some of them anyway.

I said to Larten that the humans in the restaurant probably went to the Whitby Goth Festival with some clan member friends and they came here with those friends and now they wanted to be like us and help us; they all had jobs here and they were all trained to fight so I saw no reason for them not to be blooded and Larten said that he would blood three people while he was here if they proved themselves worthy enough to become clan members.

We had our meal and then we went to the bar for drinks before we went to one of the other entertainment facilities like the cinema or the theme park. I had a good look around at all of the facilities and I was pleased with what was on offer.

We decided to try our luck in the casino; the only game that I knew how to play was roulette so I joined in with that, Larten was at one of the poker tables. I had just started my game when two of the guards came over and asked me to show I.D as I was only thirteen; I flashed my scars and said that Larten was with me so they had to let me stay as they were only humans and no human is going to take on a vampyress, especially not if her mate is as well known as Larten so they left me to get on with my game; I won a lot of money and Larten had won big as well so we left the casino to put the money in our safe until we had need of it.

I went on the roller coasters next; one was called "The Train From Hell" because it was that shape with flames painted on it and the person driving it at over 150 miles an hour was dressed in a devil outfit; the ride included a tunnel in pitch black with a cork screw and several loop the loops whilst being upside down. It absolutely rocked and many of the younger guests enjoyed it; they were usually the children of workers or the children of the Cirque Du Freak performers who had special passes to say that they had been authorised to go there by the Vampyre council as this holiday park was a closely guarded secret for security reasons.

Larten kept his feet firmly on the ground because he got motion sickness. He had to wait at the end for me to come off of the rides.

We tried out the heated swimming pool when we woke up in the evening and it was lovely; except I had never learnt to swim so I had to stay near the edge and hold on because the water was really deep.

Larten got one of the instructors to teach me the basics and I soon got the hang of it; with Larten beside me I was soon going up and down using my vampyre blood to keep me afloat as vampyres are natural swimmers but being half human still I was not as good as some of the other vampyres in the pool who were diving in and swimming underwater; some were playing water polo and other sports as there were three pools and they were all massive by human standards.

I had a good swim and a muck around as I was only thirteen and I could get away with it; then I went into the spa and then the sauna to relax and recuperate after Larten's idea of fun went a bit wrong; he told me to dive in off of the board and he would catch me so I jumped off but some other vampyre got into a water fight with him and held him under the water; so when I landed in the water I could not come up again because I could not swim well enough. Then Vancha jumped in and rescued me. Larten then had to recover from being held under the water until one of the safety officers saw what was going on and stopped it before it got out of hand. I was ok; a bit shaken up but I was not injured, Larten was ok too as he had learned long ago to hold his breath for up to twenty minutes; he felt bad that he had not been able to catch me but that was not his fault, it was the fault of the vampyre who held him under the water.

The spa was really nice and warm. It had jets that blew warm air and water under the water and it had bubbles so it was really relaxing to sit in.

There were two other vampyresses in the spa with me and they seemed to be really chilled out and relaxed as well as me; coming here was a wicked idea of Larten's as it was perfect; there was no pressure on you, you could get up when you wanted, do what you wanted to do and it was safe from vampaneze and humans who dislike vampyres due to the excellent security and a well chosen venue.

I returned to my room feeling refreshed and ready to chill out. In our apartment by the bed there was a phone with a button on it that said crypt service instead of room service; it was a lame joke but I pressed it and a man answered the phone

"Hello this is crypt service, what do you want to order?"

"Good evening this is apartment seven can you send up some red bed linen please? Also I would like some fresh blood and a hot meal."

"Certainly madam it is on its way. What meal did you want madam?"

The man said

"Oh some of your spaghetti bolognaise and a bottle of champagne also please." I said

"Of course madam, do you want anything else?" The man asked

"No that is all thank you goodbye." and I hung up.

The things arrived within ten minutes and I tipped the man who brought them up.

I changed the bed and then tucked into my meal; it was really nice and I knew what to order if I got hungry. I put the champagne in the fridge ready for when Larten came in; it was to celebrate our win in the casino and we were rich because of it.

Larten came back twenty minutes later with a girl by his side; he then said

"Shannon this is Natalia, Natalia this is Shannon my mate. I have just blooded her as she helped me out earlier when some drunken vampyres tried to take my cloak so I have just turned her into another half blooded vampyress as a reward for her assistance."

"Hello Shannon it is nice to meet you. Mr Crepsley, I have heard of you, you dated my sister once but she was killed in that fire when you were at the mountains fighting. Do you remember her? Her name was Serina."

"How could I forget her? She was gorgeous but a bit quiet for me so I let her go. That was when you were only six some twenty years ago now." Larten said. Natalia then said

"Thank you for blooding me; my sister said that one night you would come and find me again. Look I have the locket still with your name in it and the words "I will find you and rescue you.""

"You kept it after all these years? I guess that is why you are working here in the hope of finding me but I kept my word and found you." Larten replied

"I have seen you many times but you were with that other lady with the long, black hair; she looked really scary so I never said hello when you were with her but now you are with this other girl who looks friendly." Natalia said

"Oh yes I am really friendly, I would never hurt anyone unless they threatened me or if they are vampaneze. We can be friends if you want and I will show you something that's really cool." I said as I got my weapons out and showed off some of my skills.

"Awesome moves, you must teach me I insist upon it." Natalia said

"Ok then; here take my dagger and try to copy me if you can. You strike forward and then come back to block, slash high and then you strike right in the shoulder blade."I said.

"Oh what like this?" She said as she did what I did but slower as her blood had not kicked in yet.

"Yes now from there you can swing around the back and use your remaining dagger to cut their throat like this" I said

"That was a wicked move and it is so simple to use. Thanks Shannon." Natalia said.

"That is ok; of course you will learn how to fight properly and you will learn how to be a real vampyress as Larten and I will teach you. Do you like champagne? I have some in the fridge from earlier that I bought to celebrate my casino win." I went to get some champagne flutes and the champagne.

"It is ok, I have only ever had it once and that was at my cousins wedding four years ago now." Natalia said as I handed her and Larten a flute.

"First we will drink to our casino win; may there be many more and then we will drink to you; welcome to the clan we hope you like it, Cheers." I said and we drunk together as a trio of friends.

Natalia stayed in our apartment; we sent for another bed but Natalia wanted a coffin so we got one of those instead.

We decided to go to bed at that point and rest as we had been up for ages and I had enjoyed enough excitement for one night; I had explored much of the resort and I had been in most of the facilities but there were a few more things to try out like the shuriken range and the horse riding place. There was even a helicopter ride that took you to the ski slopes and back again and the skating rink was open so there was more fun to be had.

My bed was really comfy and it was quite big as double beds go. I had enough room as in some double beds you fight for covers but on this one there were more than enough covers to keep us both warm.

We slept in and I ordered breakfast in bed via crypt service as I could not be bothered to cook. By the time Larten arose Natalia had already gone to have some more fun and to try and make her blood kick in so she could be like us at last.

Breakfast consisted of cereal and milk, juice, toast and coffee; or you could have a cooked breakfast which was a full English breakfast but I never had enjoyed food like that. I had a bowl of frosted flakes and some milk to drink; then I had a pot of fat free fruit yoghurt and some toast; I got full up after that so I got dressed and went into the shopping centre for some new clothes and some souvenirs.

I must have spent quite a while in the shopping centre just looking at everything and trying to decide what to buy. In the end I went to one of the Goth shops and splashed out on loads of stuff like chalices and clothes to wear in the nightclubs. I bought some boots and shoes as well. I also bought some expensive jewellery to wear to the ball that was on the last night of our stay and to match the jewellery I had a new dress that was black with a lace up back and long sleeves, the under skirt was blood red and it had gold decoration on it; it cost me a couple of hundred pounds which was nothing as my casino win had been in the low thousands.

I returned to my apartment with my hands full of shopping and the wardrobe was getting full by the time that I had packed everything away.

Natalia came in to the main living room with a look on her face that said to me that she was feeling the blood kick in and she was just getting used to her enhanced senses; she had blood on her lips so she had had her first feed and that may have awoken the vampyre inside her.

I remember when my blood kicked in at first. I was high as a kite and no one got any sense out of me as the adrenaline had kicked in and with my enhanced powers I felt invincible.

"This place is overrun by rats. I can hear and smell them everywhere. How cool is that? Rats are so sweet and cute; I want some pet ones." Natalia said

"Yes I can hear them too. Now that your blood has kicked in how do you feel?" I asked her

"Like I am invincible and that no one can touch me because I am a vampyress. I am strong now and boys will fall at my feet." Natalia replied

"Yes I felt like that as well at first but it only lasts for a couple of days and then you will feel normal until the blood lust kicks in and when it does you will feel a burning hunger inside you until you feed again. You and you alone are in charge of your enhanced abilities so use them wisely or you may get into trouble; remember you can kill so be aware and if you are dealing with humans act human until you think it is safe to act otherwise. Being here does not count as everyone is pro vampyric but in the real world it is the opposite." I advised

"Ok that makes sense, come on lets spar as I need to release this energy." Natalia said as she got her dagger out and I fetched my own pair of daggers.

We started training and it was fun to have another vampyress to play with and talk to as Larten was right when he said how lonely it can get. Larten came in and watched us spar, he liked watching us play together and even though Natalia was in her twenties she was quite immature for her age so she saw this sparring match as great fun.

"Ladies please fighting over me is not necessary" said Vancha who walked in on us right in the middle of our game

"We are not fighting over you Sire we fight for fun and training." I said as we stopped sparring to rest.

"So you are recently blooded then?" Vancha asked Natalia

"Yes, I was blooded last night and I am getting the hang of being a clan member already. Blood tastes good and fighting makes me feel great as it burns off lots of excess energy." Natalia replied

"Shannon do you know where Larten keeps his shurikens? I need to borrow them for a while but he can have them back later." Vancha asked

"Yes they are in that cabinet at the back, Larten has gone to the spa as he was complaining of a bad back." I said

"Here they are. They are very blunt I will have to sharpen them first but thank you anyway. Oh and Natalia welcome to the clan, you may have need of these items." Vancha said as he handed over a short sword and a cloak with the vampyres coat of arms embroidered onto it.

"Thank you, I won't get cold outside now as all I have is my jacket but with this cloak I won't shiver so much now and the sword is so cool. I will have to learn to use it though." Natalia said as Vancha left.

Larten came back in after he had been in the spa and he only had a pair of trousers on so Natalia got to see his six pack and his many battle scars. He had slashes across his chest and his back; he also had burn marks and bruises from our sparring matches. He had no tattoos but he did have a strange mark on his side; it was like a birth mark but not so I asked him about it and he said

"That is where I was branded. I stole something so I was branded with the mark of a thief. They would have put it on my cheek but as I was already blooded I broke free from the prison and went on the run. Not before a fight broke out though; they used the branding iron as a weapon to try and hold me back; obviously that was nothing to the fights that I had already been in as a vampyre and they had no idea how to stop me. I learnt how to break free from handcuffs and restraints; sedatives have no effect on me as the vampyre blood keeps my adrenaline high enough to counter act the drugs so in their eyes I was dangerous and unpredictable. To be perfectly honest love I think that they were glad when I escaped to England with Seba and never looked back."

"Now that is so cool; I bet that you have a story for every scar do you not?" I asked

"Yes indeed I do. The slashes on my back are from Arra on our first ever night as mates; the ones on my front are from vampaneze when they put me in the fight ring bare chested as training, the burn marks are from the Trials of Death when I completed the Hall of Flames and the rest are from tussles with animals, sparring matches, duelling and many other vampyric pursuits." Larten explained as he put on a shirt and got ready to go and take us for lunch as we were hungry and there were plenty of places to eat in the resort.

We ate in a place named the nail and coffin which was a vampyres only pub where they served blood by the barrel and beer by the bucket load.

Inside the pub was dark and dingy but the staff were friendly and it had a feel of the old days when vampyres were lucky to survive after Bram Stoker set the whole vampyre slaying scene with his novel Dracula.

It was decorated like a crypt and if it had been any smaller I would have thought that it was a converted crypt. There were portraits of vampyres on the walls and there were all kinds of weapons hung up on the walls and each weapon had a plaque by it with information on it about the weapon and a short story about when it was last used.

We sat at one of the tables and someone came over to us to take our orders of food and drink. I ordered a meal and some vodka and coke. Natalia had a cup of real coffee and Larten had a real bloody Mary which I sipped and at that point decided that vodka and blood just do not mix. We had our food and after that we went to one of the night clubs as we had not been there yet and I wanted to experience the real night life.

The club was named the Sundown and it was a mixed club where both vampyres and humans could hang out but the humans had to either work at the resort or they had to have family members who were in the clan who could vouch for them and give them permission to enter the resort, they had to have tags on so that the security would let them through.

We queued up to enter and I noticed that the guards were walking along the queue and checking that it was single file and orderly and that there was no pushing or fighting. We arrived at the front door and the bouncers let Larten in and then Natalia followed but they held me back until they checked my I.D card; because I was only half blooded I did not have the standard vampyre aura around me so the guards were not sure but they checked my scars and then they tested me by asking me a question that only a vampyress would know the answer to so they could be sure that I was a real clan member; Larten came outside and asked what the holdup was and he told the guards that he was my mate and that they should let me in so they did; by the time it had taken for me to get into the club Natalia had gone off somewhere and the dance music had turned into all the slushy stuff that Larten could not stand so we left and went to another all night club where it was nothing but disco music and the place was full of vampyres having a good night out.

Larten and I went onto the dance floor and started to party, I saw that Natalia was having a good time with a lad and I noticed that there were a lot of boys dancing around her. I had a couple of lads ask me to dance so I did and I had a good night out and we did not get back to our apartment until late the next morning. Natalia did not come back to the apartment so we thought that she had spent the day with one of the lads whom she was dancing with; she returned to the apartment covered in blood and bruised from head to foot so Larten fetched the medical kit and patched her up and now we had to find out what had happened.

"The lad I was with, we were making out and then he tried to take it further, I said no and then it got violent so I had no choice but to fight my way out and he had a knife so naturally I defended myself so I got defensive wounds on my arms and hands; I managed to disarm him but he died because of the wound in his chest that I had given him. He had two purple V's tattooed on his head behind his ears one on either side which I have not seen before have you Larten?"

"I have indeed, he was a vampet which is a half blooded vampaneze so that means that the whole resort is in danger; we must warn everyone and then we must head back to the mountain to pass this rather disturbing news to the clan." Larten said

"I will go to the security head office and let them know; then I will go to all of the apartments and notify the occupants to pack up and head to the mountain; as for the humans I will lead them to safety and then I will head to the mountain and meet up with you on route. Good luck and farewell for now." I replied before I left.

**Chapter 11 the Return to Vampyre Mountain**

I got all of my things packed and harnessed up my dog pack ready to make the very dangerous and long journey back to Vampyre Mountain only now I was completely alone and it was winter time so the journey was made harder by the bitter cold, the risk of avalanches and the path being blocked by snow. Also the risk of the rocks being slippery and hard to climb up; I had to put special snow grip shoes on my dog team's feet and on my own feet so that we could travel over ice as it was everywhere.

At night I wrapped up under blankets and my dogs slept near me and the fire to keep warm, we found a few caves to sleep in but it was not easy and in my head I wished that Larten was with me to guard me and to guide me as there were many routes to Vampyre Mountain and I did not know if I was on the right path but I had to take that risk as it was too dangerous to go back now and time was of the essence.

I called out for help to see if there was anyone in earshot, no one answered me, I knew that I was alone. I begged Larten to come with me but he was guarding Vampyre Ville.

I knew that I had no choice but to run the dogs as far up the mountain as I could every night, the entrance was at the top under ground. I knew that there were other entrances along the way and I hoped that I would find one of these entrances soon.

Eventually I bumped into a guard who was hunting and he gave me some clear directions, soon I was in the Entrance Hall, I was freezing cold and soaking but I was ok.

The very first thing I had to do was to take my dogs and wolf to the kennels and feed them, they had warm milk and water to replenish their energy levels. After that I went directly to the Prince's Dome to ask for advice and to get permission to send troops to guard Vampyre Ville against an attack.

I went to the Dome, I was questioned by three guards and I was searched, it was not surprising after Kurda's treachery.

"Enter, who comes before us Princes?" A voice said.

"It is I Shannon Larten's mate with an urgent message from Vampyre Ville." I said.

"Then come in to our Dome" The voice said as I entered.

The voice belonged to Prince Arrow.

"What message have you got for us?" Arrow asked.

"Vampyre Ville is under attack from vampaneze, my friend killed one three weeks ago. We need permission to defend the humans and the young vampyres there who cannot fight. Can we send troops to protect the residents Sire?" I asked.

"You may send troops, tell the heralds to announce all out war at Vampyre Ville, I myself will prepare a force to act as guards, you must rest and pass the message to everyone. War is declared and every vampyre must fight and that is my order." Arrow said.

"Yes Sire." I said and I left.

I quickly ran to a herald and passed on Arrow's words that were confirmed by Paris Skyle who was also a Prince, he was over 700 years old and he was very wise.

Soon the whole mountain was preparing for war, all around me in the corridors and hallways were clan members digging out their armour and getting their weapons ready, they needed sharpening but they were still usable. Some weapons were blood stained from the last clash where Arra had been killed.

I myself went to the kennel block and I got my wolf hitched up, she had fought well last time and now she was needed again. I had an idea that would finish the vampaneze for good if only I could sort it in time.

My plan was to send my wolf into the woods and I would go with her, with any luck all of the local wolves would come over and soon I would have a pack that could run beside the cavalry causing panic and fear, that would hopefully split the enemy ranks and help us gain a quicker victory.

I was secretly hoping that Larten would arrive soon because then I would be safe, the woods were not safe. Bears, wolves, wolverines and a whole host of other creatures resided there. I was scared, only the vampyric blood in my veins, my dagger and my wolf could save me now, I ventured forward into the unknown never knowing what was going to approach me first.

As luck would have it the first thing I saw was a pair of yellow eyes, then I heard a familiar howl, it was a wolf, he was huge and he growled but when he caught my scent he lowered his head and came over. I cautiously held out my fist for him to sniff, I had a chunk of venison in it and my clothes were stained with blood and wolf hair. The male soon knew I was no threat and he walked beside me with his ears pricked and his nose to the ground.

I called him Streak because he had a streak of silver fur on his otherwise black back. I put a collar on him and a lead and soon I was walking both wolves like tame dogs.

I heard an almighty screech next, I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around for what had made the noise. I saw a flash of red and soon I realised that it was Larten, he came out from behind a bush that he had been crouching behind.

I then saw why he had been crouching behind the bush. A dead human shape lay on the ground, Streak sniffed it and growled for it was vampaneze, the stench was awful though he was freshly dead.

I figured that the screech had come from him after Larten had slit his throat, it made sense, blood was everywhere and Larten had a fair bit on him, his robes were torn also.

I threw my arms around Larten and he picked me up and swung me around in the air, I held him even tighter when my feet were back on the ground, we had been apart for a long time.

"You are covered in blood darling, has the war started without me?" I asked.

"No dear, I met a troupe of vampets and vampaneze on my way here, of course I killed them, it is their blood I am covered in I am not injured at all. I slit that last bastard's throat because he had been following you, he was well hidden. He was planning to jump you but I saw it coming and killed him before he could harm you, he screeched with fear when I jumped him but I killed him quickly and cleanly, he did not suffer for all his evils." Larten explained.

"Thanks babe, you just saved me then, I am surprised the wolves did not smell him, mind you he is wearing a bear skin. Maybe that disguised his scent." I said.

"Quite possibly, what are you doing in the woods anyway? You know how dangerous it is. I told you not to come here alone did I not?" Larten told me.

"You did but I am not alone, I have Spirit and Streak with me and I was here under orders from Arrow, we have a plan to aid the coming battle." I said.

"Well what is this plan? If you were under orders then ok, you must obey the Princes, it is a matter of honour." Larten said.

I then went on to explain the plan and Larten agreed with it, he helped me to find a pack of wolves, soon no less than 7 wolves were on leads walking beside us like pets, well very big, thick furred, lethal to almost everybody pets.

We arrived back in the Main Hall to find it in chaos, there were clan members everywhere, then we saw for ourselves what all of the commotion was about. One of the clan had argued with a Prince over a battle plan and where to place the troops, in return the Prince had got into an argument which had turned into a fight and now the injured General who's name escaped me was being carried off to the medical wing with what looked like a broken arm and a damaged jaw.

Everyone had crowded around to find out what all of the commotion had been about. When it was over everyone dispersed and only Larten and I were in the corridor.

We went back into the main hall and we tucked in to a pre war feast, it was traditional to eat one meal all together in case some did not return from battle, it was our way of building some memories in case it was the last time we saw each other alive and unscathed.

We had fond memories of Arra, she was the life and soul of the parties and feasts that were held.

Also Arra was one of our best warriors, a keen swordswoman with the skills and strength of a man, she was missed on the battlefield as much as on the Bars, Arra's favourite duelling game in the Halls of Sport.

The Bars had been covered in black ribbons and flowers but now only the ribbons remained. Arra's staff had been mounted on the wall but the others were still in the rack waiting to be used again. We as a clan had decided that the Bars would not be used again until Arra had been properly avenged and the first person to duel again would be Sirus against anyone of his choosing.

I never got to duel Arra but I avenged her death, the whole clan were surprised at how good I was at fighting. Even Larten was surprised, mind you I had been properly trained to fight and I too was good with a sword and other bladed weapons.

Shurikens or five bladed throwing stars were a bit of a challenge but with Vancha's help I was soon throwing them with great and deadly accuracy.

I mastered how to use a scimitar which is a long, bladed weapon. It is used to disarm enemies, it can also block attacks from swords and spears. It also has a slightly curved blade which makes both beheading and disembowelling enemies easier and quicker so more enemies can be slain with greater speed.

This in turn may give you a greater chance of survival on the battlefield but war is as much about brains and strategy as it is about fighting and killing. I was kept busy in the run up to the battle, I was given orders to go to Vampyre Ville and build a War Office that would be hidden from enemy view. The only option was to build it high in the trees and to camouflage it with leaves and netting, we had to protect it also so a layer of metal sheeting would be used as armour.

Chapter12ThetreeHouseWarOffice

I arrived at Vampyre Ville with Larten and a team of builders who were disguised as regular vampyres so that the vampaneze would not be suspicious of our presence.

It was very scary, I had absolutely no building experience. I was also afraid of being discovered and taken by the vampaneze as a trophy for their Lord whoever he was, a rumour circulated that the vampaneze Lord was a misguided teenager with a thirst for killing and blood. We did not know what to believe but Larten said that the rumour was unlikely to be true, as he had said that the vampaneze would surely know better than to put the fate of their clan into the hands of a teenage boy

how wrong we were...

We started to build our war office, first of all we striped away the lower branches and the rotten beams from the old tree house as they got in the way, then we used a hammer and nailed in a floor and walls. We painted all of the planks green and camouflage colours, then we put a layer of metal on the inside and a layer of netting and leaves on the outside to act as a further disguise.

It took eight of us a week to build going flat out, it would have taken humans a lot longer with their scaffolding and their ladders, vampyres do not need ladders or scaffolding, our balance is supreme.

Also it would have looked suspicious if we had of put a load of scaffolding and ladders up around the tree, the vampaneze would have figured out what we were building and it would have been the end of us and our war office.

We set out a long table and on it we put our strategic maps and a list of troops and what rank they were in, we did not have many soldiers but we had superior numbers over the vampaneze so we used it to our advantage by setting up an ambush.

It was because of Kurda Smalt that we were in this mess and we were determined to get out of it and save Vampyreville for the good of the clan. Although Kurda had long since been executed he still had a fair few supporters and it was up to Larten and I to discover them and bring them to justice.

Our war office was finally complete and we now had to sit and wait for a report to come in from our ground troops, they were standing guard watching the Vampaneze in the hope that they would betray their plans or their own secret base.

It was vital that we discovered this information sooner rather than later, for the sooner we put a stop to their dastardly plans the more lives we would save and that was our main objective. Larten and I are not bad vampyres, we are just loyal to the clan and our fellow vampyres, yes we feed on humans but we also help them out and we never harm them without a just cause. I loved living this life but the thought of fighting scared me, however I did not let it show on my war painted face. I was glad that Larten was sticking by me and helping me out as without him I would not have had the courage to face what I was about to face...

Chapter 13, The Battle of White River

Early after sunset three nights after our war office had been completed we received word that the vampaneze were on the move, it was not like them to set up and then move on so quickly.

"It is likely one of two things, either some kind of trap or a trick to get us to follow them out of our strategic position that we have here so we should watch them closely but ignore them, let them come to us and soon enough they will make a mistake." Larten said to Vancha.

"I agree with you my old friend but what is so great about White River anyway?" Vancha asked.

"Well, it is where the vampaneze choose their Lord. The legend says that after the vampaneze broke off from the vampyres at the mountain they elected a Lord who would one night lead them to a great victory over us, the Lord that they chose vanished without a trace and according to legend he is due to be reincarnated this year in three night's time, so says the Book of Souls, according to Des Tiny anyway." Larten explained.

"Oh right so that is what they must be preparing for then, the investiture of their new leader whoever he is." I said revealingly.

"Well it would make sense, I think that it may not be as easy as that though, you know what Des Tiny is like when it comes to prophecies, he only tells small snippets of information and even then it may not be true." Vancha said ruefully.

"Well shall we wait and see what happens or shall we strike now before their Lord gets reincarnated?" I asked Larten.

"I think that we should prepare for war and expect to have a major battle on our hands, I have a map of White River but it is old, it may give us some strategic clues however, I shall study it carefully my dear, do not panic. As long as we are here nothing shall harm you for we will not allow it to harm you." Larten said to me before he scooped me up and held me close to him before Vancha too did the same, this is a vampyric way of showing loyalty and trust.


End file.
